How many years does it take to fix a mistake?

Someone posted a comment that all quilt stores are becoming the same, so what is the point of shopping at one versus the other? While that may be true to some extent, I think the "copying" goes back even further. 

The FABRIC is becoming the same, so shops don't have as much variety as they used to. And SADLY, what fabric companies make reflects what sells the most. We used to have easy access to categories like 30s and Asian, two categories I haven't seen in quite a while. That doesn't mean they are completely gone - I just haven't seen them. 

What we are seeing is so much of the same! I don't want to put a designer name in the blog so it gets flagged when someone searches, but I know of several designers - three of them come to mind immediately, and their collections are the same YEAR AFTER YEAR. The motifs might change somewhat, or the color might shift slightly, but over the designer's lifespan, they are the same! 

I remember back in the day when I bought a ton of fabric from one designer because I loved it (it's still sitting there untouched!), and when I looked into it, each of their 27 collections (at the time) was IDENTICAL in coloring; only the motif had changed. OK -- they may not be identical, but very similar. You could easily substitute one collection for another. 

Even other designers' collections are similar! And let's face it, that is what sells, or manufacturers wouldn't keep printing millions and millions of yards of fabric for each release. Of the MANY fabric companies out there, if each company released, let's say, 15 collections three times a year, that's a whole lot of "new" they have to create! The lookbook for one company I just checked just released NINETEEN new collections. 

Of the 19, many were similar to collections released in past years. Why would they come up with something new when people absolutely go nuts and buy and buy and buy? And if a certain style sells, then why not print more of that kind? It is US, the consumers, that are making the stores the same!! 

As usual, I've generalized a wee bit, but how many blue/teal watercolor collections do we need? At this point, there are probably 20 of them? The company releases a new one three times a year (I think). But the quilting community keeps buying them, so they keep on making them. All they do is change the theme - the look is very similar. 

Some designers are so popular that shops and consumers will buy those collections SIGHT UNSEEN. That is obscene. The only way to force change is to STOP buying, and then designers will have to work hard to find something new. 

Well, Miss Murphy seems to be hopping up onto her bed much more frequently these days. That means her legs are feeling stronger? We still help her on the stairs, and that is becoming routine for all of us, so that is good. 

MOM - I need a bath!!!!

I need to call the groomer and try and figure out a way to get her groomed. She desperately needs a bath. But she won't be able to stand for as long as they need. I'm sure we can arrange something like two appointments? 

Yesterday I gave her a wee taste of freedom. In the forest, we often walk off the path; well, it's a secondary path the city doesn't service. The forest is one huge squirrel convention at this time of year, and I thought I'd let her have a wee bit of fun. Given the condition of her legs, that may or may not have been smart, although she seemed fine all day and this morning. 

I dropped her leash. She went about 10 feet and then looked back at me. "MOM - something is not right." So I picked it up, and she immediately started pulling. So I dropped it again, and this time, she took off. But not super fast as she would have in the past. But she bounded around the forest while I walked on the secondary path. When I came out the other side, she did too, came to me when I called, and we continued our walk. 

She was excited, and I cut the walk short as I knew she would be tired. Silly girl, but she had fun with the squirrels. 

And then there is our lazy Lexi. She insists on lying under the table, a habit DH taught her. She can get pretty obnoxious while she waits for something. He eventually gave her some off the table, and then she ate the rest of her food. I wish he had NOT trained her to do that. Murphy, who loves to eat, never got food at the table, so she is elsewhere. 

MOM - just making myself comfortable while I wait

I had to clean my sewing machine because I ran out of "prewound" bobbins. Since I can't remember when I last cleaned the machine and changed the needle, I use five or six bobbins as an indicator. When the bobbins are gone, it's time to clean the machine and change the needle. It works for me. 

My indicator for changing the needle and cleaning the machine

Then I trimmed those two winter quilts and stitched the binding to the back of the first one. When I made the binding, I wasn't sure I had cut enough strips, and sure enough, I ran out. I need about 18 inches of binding. 

Not enough binding

However, I just made this binding two weeks ago, maybe three, and do you think I can find the fabric? I remember it in my hands, debating what to do if I was short, but where did I put it? I immediately checked the tubs of blue fabric in the stash room, but it's not there. OK -- so I only checked the top, but I can't imagine it got buried. I may have no choice but to go through that tub to try and find it. 

Then I decided if I am going to be serious about getting some of the projects off the Visual To Do list, then I'd better put my money where my mouth is. By the way, those winter quilts are on the list, as is this next project. 

I had prepared some appliqué blocks for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. I cut out the shapes at the quilt retreat, so all I had to do was place the pieces on the background square, set up the machine for appliqué, and finish one block!!!

One more block done

When I'm machine embroidering, I keep stabilizer bits for embroidery or appliqué. A few small pieces were all I needed for this block. 

Using up stabilizer bits for appliqué

So I kept going and got a second block done as well. 

You can see how scrappy some of the stabilizer is on the backs of the blocks. I don't like the waste. So if I use every piece of stabilizer twice, that makes me feel better. Some larger pieces might get used a third time! 

More scrappy bits

And now two more blocks are complete. YEAH!!!! I thought I had about 20 blocks to finish, but the number might be closer to 30. It doesn't matter; if I can work on at least one per day for the next bit, I can easily finish by the end of the year. My goal is to have the three tops together by the end of the year. I'd better get moving! 

I finished two blocks for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler.

Appliqué can quickly slow people down, so here are a couple of tips. By the way, I'm doing a satin stitch around raw edge fused pieces. 

The first tip: find a good SATIN STITCH, not a zigzag stitch, on your sewing machine. There is a huge difference between the two. And use an open-toe foot so you can see what is going on. If you don't know the difference, let me know, and I'll see if I can find a picture. I don't have time this morning. 

Use an open-toe appliqué foot.

Secondly, know the functions on your sewing machine and use them. This is the function panel on the PFAFF Creative Icon 2. From the left: presser foot up and down; the needle threader (moved to the far right on the Creative Icon 3, which makes sense). Next is the scissors, which I don't really use because I prefer long tails when I'm doing appliqué. Next is the TIE OFF (extremely important for appliqué), as is the STITCH restart, and finally the needle up/down. 

The function panel on the creative icon 2

All of those are game changers for appliqué if you use them correctly. Another thing about this machine (and many others) is the presser foot that pops up slightly when the needle is down, so you can pivot frequently. That was extremely important on all those curves and those points. I've done so much appliqué in my life, I think I could do it in my sleep! I will NOT do appliqué without those tools and functions. 

OH - and here's another tip. When I'm done stitching, I press the block from the back using a wool pressing mat so I don't compress the stitches on the front. This is the only time I use a wool pressing mat. 

Pressing from the back on a wool pressing mat

So that is two more blocks done, and well, I'll take better count later on what is left. 

I'm almost embarrassed to explain what happened to the next block. But there is a Dresden Plate block in this quilt, and I have the pieces cut, and I've attempted to sew it at least TWO TIMES before, but it just didn't work. I couldn't get a circle, and I was frustrated. I've tried Dresden rulers; I've double-checked the pieces multiple times. But I need to finish this block, so let's try it one more time. 

I laid out all the blades on the sewing table so I could tackle it later today. 

The blades for the Dresden Plate block

It looks like it will make a circle - right? WRONG!!!!! 

I have 16 petals in my block, which is common. Then, for whatever reason, I had an epiphany last night and counted the petals in the book's block. OH!!!!

The pattern

Seriously?? Each quarter has FIVE blades, not four. So I am missing four blades!!! No wonder mine never formed a circle. 

The pattern instructions are correct; I just didn't read them right. And this thing has been an issue for how many years? I just shake my head in disbelief. BUT the important thing is that I have figured it out, and now I can cut four more blades and get this thing together. 

Depending on how my sample making goes today, I might be able to piece that. I'm trying to decide whether to turn the rounded end under before sewing the blades together or after. It might be easier to do it before; it will be fiddly as heck with those twenty blades, but then it will be easy to zip around and do some invisible machine appliqué on the turned-under edge. 

I can't believe I made a mistake like that, and that I didn't catch it even though it didn't make a circle!!! Life happens, move on and get the block done!

Here is my Halloween Trick or Treat bag. I embroidered this last year, and I sewed the bag back together because I didn't have access to a free-arm embroidery machine when I made it. 

Sample bag for Halloween

I rinsed out the water-soluble stabilizer, but it still felt stiff. So I threw it in the washing machine, and it is soft and beautiful!!! 

I spotted this saying on a video clip that someone sent me. 

"Be careful collecting things

Be reckless collecting memories"

You can't have too many memories, and you certainly don't want to not do things. As someone mentioned in a comment on the blog, for many events in our lives, "there are no do-overs," meaning the event happens only once! If you don't go, you will never have that memory. 

Think about that! If it's too much trouble, too emotional, too far, too many people, or whatever excuse you come up with, that event will NEVER happen again!! Don't say no to collecting memories, especially with family and friends. 

I need to get moving; it's going to be a busy day (as usual), and I also have a massage today. I'm a bit worried about my back, so I need to warn her about what happened with the physio a while back. Oh my, my legs are a bit sore this morning from my workout, but it's all good!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!

It's all about the puzzles

After last week's decluttering, I surveyed this office this morning, and YIKES!!!! I had better get my act together. Actually, I have a pile of books in boxes that were supposed to be picked up in September, but that didn't happen, and now the new date is in November. Then, as I did at my aunt's, I should just start at one side and work my way around. 

I have several bags of books to deal with, a lamp to assemble, and a box for my stick vacuum to recycle. It's amazing how quickly we "unsee" life's detritus. And there is probably enough stuff for a trip to the thrift store. 

I need to focus on the crap on the floor. So I've pulled out the lamp box and the stuff on top, and that's my focus for the week. I don't have the luxury of an entire day right now. 

People were chatting about thrift stores yesterday and how it's better to support one that supports animals or people instead of for-profit stores. I can't help it; that's the one closest to me, and I'm not going out of my way to drop off one box. It's not ideal - I get that, but it works. 

All the presentations went off just fine, and except for one email to send this morning, I've finished all the follow-up emails. 

I have my UFO homework assigned, and I didn't go big this month: two small quilts to bind, plus one quilt block. I should try to bind those quilts this morning during Monday Sewing. I'm not sure how the month will go, and I don't want to end up with loads to do at the last minute. It's all about time management. The UFO Club is working well, and people have gotten so much done since I started that club many years ago. 

As the year winds down (OK, we still have two and a half months), it's time to think about next year, and YES, I'm running the club next year as well. I laugh (well, not really, because it's quite sad) at how many of us have shelves, boxes, and bags filled with UFOs. Yes, I know some of you have no UFOs, but some of us do! I'm focusing on all those "10-dollar" quilts I've taught over the last 26 years. 

I really must count them one day to see how many are done and how many are not! The ones not done will keep me busy!

I zipped off to the mall yesterday, and they seem to be having these market days. It's actually a bunch of vendors trading/selling cards. I have no idea what kind of cards, but it seems to be things like Pokémon? I heard that was big and that there were huge lines at Costco to bring the cards in the first place? I don't follow that, so I have no idea. 

Card trader/vendor market

It was a glorious day yesterday, and the sun was shining, so DH and I and the two girls sat on the front patio reading our books and soaking up the sun. We don't sit there so much in the summer, but these days? It's the perfect spot. 

Then because Miss Murphy is so busy and has a hard time sitting still, I went to the backyard with her. I found one sunny spot I enjoyed for a bit, and then I needed a nap!

MOM - I love the backyard!

On the protein front, I spotted this yogurt at the grocery store, and I bought a vanilla-flavored one. I tried a plain one last week, and it's a bit too bland for my taste. The vanilla is great, and I added a few slivered almonds. So we'll mess around with that and see how it goes. I miss my muffin, but this is equally good and probably a whole lot better for me because it has less sugar! A LOT less sugar!

High protein yogurt

I finished the last presentation (scrap quilts) at 2 PM, and I didn't really feel like sewing after that. So I went for a walk, sat outside and read, and then I did some puzzles. I know! A real slacker! But not really. 

Every time we volunteer to pack puzzles, we get to pick one as a thank-you. I typically go for the 1000-piece ones, but I spotted this two-sided puzzle, so I brought it home, since I don't have one of those. And you have to try all the puzzle types at least once. 

The "front" looks very weird as a puzzle, but I'm game to try something new. 

The puzzle front

And this is the back. At least, there is a big difference between the two pictures, so it should be somewhat easy to know which side is which. However, it will be a challenge to decide which side to do, since both sides look scary! But I put it on the shelf, since it's not my priority at the moment. I guess the idea is to do one side, then take it apart and do the other side! So technically, it's a two for one! 

The back of the puzzle

And yes, I did go back to working on the candy puzzle, and I'm happy to report it's all done!!! I got to the point where I could pick up a piece and knew pretty much where it went. So that is done. Before I disassemble it, I must find the monthly code word, take the appropriate picture, and then I can put this one away. I swear I could smell candy every time I worked on it! 

The candy puzzle

Now I have a dilemma. This is a brand-new (brand name - Eurographics) puzzle, and I don't really think I should give it away. I'm going to keep it to sell or swap. I'm happy to give away the ones I pick up at the thrift store, but not the new ones. 

In my quest to find the monthly themed puzzles, I spotted this one for November - Travel Destinations. It's loaded with travel destinations, and it's a 1,500-piece, so that will be new for me. I might just start it later this week. I wonder if all those little pictures will make it easy or harder to do? I got that one at the thrift store. 

My travel-themed puzzle for November

I also found a Disney puzzle. Someone has one, and I need to find out whether I am borrowing, trading, or buying it. I can pick that one up this coming week. The only one missing, and I'm sure I have something that will work, is the Bookworms theme. I just gave away a bookstore puzzle, but I'd already done it, so I don't need to do it again. I'll check my puzzle stash, and I can always keep an eye out at the thrift store. I also need a cat or dog puzzle, and I'm sure I have one. I LOVE this monthly themed puzzle concept.

While I was having lunch with my new puzzle friends, I heard that many of them redo puzzles. Hmm -- is that a thing? I must try to get more information. I'm not a fan of redoing or rereading something -- there are far too many new ones to do. I must find out what that is all about. But I think a lot of the people I volunteer with love the speed-puzzling competitions, so the goal is to redo the same puzzle and try to beat your time. I don't think I'll like that.  

I'm right on track with finding the theme puzzles, and I will say that puzzling is a wonderful diversion from sewing. 

But I have some samples to make this week, and I have a busy next couple of weeks with events, so that will take priority starting tomorrow. Today is Monday Sewing, so I'll work on my UFO projects and try to do a wee bit of organizing on the projects I need to finish by the end of the year. The ones on my Visual To-Do list, which I keep promising to share with you, but I haven't. 

I think it's time to focus on those things (my UFOs are on that list) and see what we can do over the next couple of days. The biggest issue with the samples is coming up with the idea. Yes -- no patterns allowed, which works for me. I love creating my own stuff with the tools I have access to. 

OH GOD -- I just opened a blank browser window, and two "new" buttons have been added. I'm sure they've been there for a while. Both relate to doing jobs with AI. Seriously? That is just wrong! Wrong in that we are now going to waste our time making pictures for things, and, by the way, several people have noticed that AI-created "signs" are identical and FILLED with words and other visuals. So much so that they are distracting, they are too busy, and they ALL LOOK THE SAME. 

So if any of you are using AI to create posters, your audience has already gotten tired of it, and we are no longer paying attention to those posters! Just sayin'! 

And this is what is going to happen with AI -- if everything looks the same, it doesn't stand out, and guess what? Your amateurish poster will look fresh and inviting. So don't rely on AI to be a star - you'll just become one of the sheep!

I've got to run as I'm off to the gym this morning. I'll be working out by myself, and that works for me. I have been so hit and miss over the past couple of weeks. I'm so glad all this travel is coming to an end. Next week will be the final long trip of the year, and there are at least two shorter trips, but I can deal with those. 

Have a wonderful day!!!! 

Ciao!!!

A puzzling day!

 Oh- looks like I have a new book to add to my list! Thanks for the recommendations! I love the idea of setting a "moving deadline" to motivate you to declutter. 

We just want to make sure that the deadline is doable, or we will end up feeling worse. I would like my deadline to be the end of the year, and I want to get the garage done! It won't take long, and it would be so nice to get rid of all the rest of the detritus. There isn't much, but it's still annoying and seems to get glossed over repeatedly! 

I still have some trips this year, but I should be able to wheedle out some time. I carved out days to visit my aunt, so why can't I carve out one day to do the garage? That's all it's going to take!!!

I have three presentations today, and I've prepared all of them! I almost missed the boat on one. I had forgotten about it, and around 3 PM yesterday, I remembered, OOPS!!! But I managed to get it together, so that is all good. So many of the pictures were ready; they just hadn't been loaded into the presentation. 

These were the two girls yesterday morning as I was finishing up the blog. They were a tad impatient to get out for their walk! Those silly girls! 

MOM - we are exhausted waiting for you!

I left the house early as I had a date with some puzzles. It was puzzle packing day again. It's like being a kid in a candy store, except we were so busy we didn't even have time to glance at the shelves. This is the warehouse anyway, so no shopping allowed. 

The puzzle warehouse

When I arrived, most of the puzzles were already in their envelopes, as a crew had done that work last night. I was on a plane, so I couldn't help them. 

After that, we got all the puzzles (probably close to 2,000) ready to ship. While that sounds daunting, it's not that bad. Several people picked the orders, someone checked them, and then others packed them in boxes. I made the boxes. I'm pretty handy with a tape gun! 

The boxes are almost ready for shipping.

The biggest challenge is deciding on a box size for each order. Some people ordered a single puzzle, while others ordered 11 or more! The problem is that the puzzles are all different sizes!!!!! These puzzles are for the virtual competitions throughout the next couple of months. So the puzzles are concealed in shipping envelopes so the recipient can't see the picture. We put a label on each puzzle to show the date and time it should be opened. 

A LOT of work happens BEFORE we even pack the puzzles. Someone orders the puzzles and has them shipped to the warehouse. They also make the labels, print the orders, and so on. 

And there are loads of events during those months with a maximum of 90 people per event or something like that. These events sell out FAST, within an hour; every spot is gone. It may not be quite that quick, but it's fast! 

This is all for the Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association. It's a great organization, and you can participate as much or as little as you want. You can check out their website, and there will be two big events that you can visit IN PERSON next year. 

They have many other events to keep people interacting. You can browse their website to find more. The one thing I like, and that fits my schedule and pace, is the monthly theme puzzles. Actually, it's called the Puzzle Along. 

Here's a list of the themes for the rest of the year and into next year. 

During that month, you put together one puzzle (or more) with that theme. Then get the keyword for the month (not posted until the beginning of the month) and post a picture to the Facebook group. I have some puzzles for the upcoming themes on the list, but I don't think I have a Disney puzzle, so I need to add one. 

Right now, I'm working on the Sweet Treats theme for October. 

My candy-themed puzzle for October

This one is called Candy Party or something like that, and it seemed very hard last week, but I made excellent progress yesterday. I will have to be very diligent today to NOT touch it until this evening. 

If you haven't guessed it, I love jigsaw puzzles. I love finding the pieces; sorting is therapeutic, and, well, it just doesn't get better than that! And a very nice diversion from sewing all day. 

Notice in this one that I have many dishes made, but not the candy inside them. And I swear I can smell candy as I'm working on the dark thing! 

Hmmm --- which one will I pick for next month with Travel Destinations as the theme? 

Well, it's Sunday morning, and did I remember to take that darn bone density pill? I did not. So I decided to take the pill and then wait 30 minutes to eat. It's a bit of a pain, but I need to get my act together. A slight delay won't kill me! But not taking the pill could! 

Someone mentioned in a comment about not going to family events or other gatherings. You know what? Sometimes we dread those events - it could be a farewell, a celebration of life. We think it would be easier, less bother, or whatever if we don't go. You know what? We are doing ourselves a disservice. If we don't think we are "good" enough or strong enough to attend those events, what does that say about how we value ourselves? 

So the next time a friend wants to visit, a family member needs help, or you have something you don't want to do, do it anyway!!! Attending those events matters for our well-being. WE ARE IMPORTANT, and others host these events to show you they care! 

This has to be short this morning; I need to get my butt in gear to walk the girls and be ready for the UFO club. 

Ciao!!!!

A LUCKY travel day!!!

 And just like that, I'm home, and soon I'll be off on another grand adventure (just for the day), and it involves packing! No decluttering, but loads of packing. 

I got up early and moved all the glassware to the garage! It wasn't as cool in the morning as it is here, and you could see the stars, so I snapped this with my cell phone. Not bad for a cell phone. But that's why cell phones are so expensive today: it's the camera, not the phone part. That probably costs a few dollars! 

The early morning sky over Salt Spring Island

When I left, the house was neat and tidy, ready for my aunt to sort through more when she had a chance. 

I was sad to leave, as it would be the last time I visited the house, but we managed to get one picture of me on the front steps. DARN --- I completely forgot to get a picture of both of us when someone else was around. We took many pictures on those front steps. 

Last photo of me on the steps

When I took the picture of the sky, I didn't even register that it was clear. No fog!! Apparently, the day before, they had to cancel floatplanes because of the fog. I got lucky!

My aunt dropped me off at the floatplane dock and headed back to the house because Lucie was coming. OK, if all the youth in our world were like Lucie, the world would be a better place. I'm not sure how old Lucie is, but I'm guessing in her twenties. She's a young single mom who is working hard to make a living. She has chosen to help others - I think I mentioned her mom was a hoarder. 

I liked her so much (we all fell in love with her) that I hired her to move all the crap out of the garage, and she did just that. Then she removed more stuff from the house. I'm not even sure what all went, but she took a load of old lawnmowers and filing cabinets to the metal recycling, and then a good part of the stuff went to a giant flea market sale which is happening today. That is why she was so anxious to get the stuff out of the house. 

She didn't want stuff going into the landfill unless absolutely necessary. YES -- I know that not everything will go at the flea market, but at least an effort was made to rescue some things. 

But if the world were filled by people like Lucie, we would be in a much better place. 

As I got down to the seaplane dock, the sun was just coming up. It was a glorious morning! 

Sunrise over Ganges Harbor on Salt Spring Island

Things went smoothly for a travel day, and it was a lucky day for me. Although I have flown over this body of water many times, I never tire of watching the ships and other small sailing craft. No whales, although the pilot mentioned they had spotted whales earlier in the week or sometime just recently. 

A ship between Salt Spring and Vancouver

When we arrived at the floatplane dock in Vancouver, we waited about five minutes for the shuttle to the main terminal, so I arrived at the terminal around 9:30. My original flight was 1 PM, but I had forgotten the seaplane flight was early in the morning when I booked it. 

While we waited for the shuttle bus, several ladies chatted about how much they'd have to pay for their luggage and whether it was overweight, etc. Both ladies were flying to the US. I said that I could carry 3 suitcases at 70 lbs each. One of them immediately asked me, "What credit card do you have?" I am NOT a fan of this business of everyone offering a credit card to get special privileges. I know many people pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees for a credit card that gives them access to the lounge or other privileges. I refuse. I only need ONE card, and it's working well for me. 

Enticing people to get another credit card in return for privileges just increases the risk of getting into trouble with credit if they're not careful. We have a small limit on one shared card, and it works! 

I checked online and saw a 10:10 flight, one at 11 that was pushed back to 11:30, one at 12, and then my 1 PM flight. I wanted to switch to an earlier flight, but I didn't want to pay the fare difference, so could I fly standby? I went to an agent immediately upon arriving at the airport, explained my situation, and before I knew it, I was confirmed on the 11:30 flight at no charge. Yeah!!!!

So I went to find something to eat and a place to sit while I waited. Since I have new airline status, I now have access to the lounge, but the lounge was under renovation! Of course it was, but I knew that because a friend of mine had been there recently and told me. 

The lounge is closed.

There is a private cafe for the airline which was near the gate, so I went there. Imagine my surprise when, while looking for a seat, I ran into a friend from back home!!! This is someone both DH and I have known for eons -- we were colleagues, and at one time, we all lived together in a big house. He and his wife came to M's wedding. We chatted, but he had work to do, so I sat and waited. 

Actually, I was watching the upgrade list. This was indeed my lucky day. There were 40 business-class seats (the lie-flat beds), and only 20 people bought those tickets. A huge list of people were waiting for an upgrade, and I happened to be number 18!!! Yep, I got one of the last seats, so I had the pleasure of a nice, comfy seat for the flight home. 

My seat on the way home

I managed to watch the final Harry Potter movie. Can you believe that in all the years since those books and movies came out, not a single person told me outright what the ending was? I kind of knew, but I was never certain. It was a great movie, and it was fun to see the whole cast back for the finale. WAIT, I had read the books, so I knew what was going to happen, but even though I read them way after they were released, no one told me the ending. 

Then I watched a couple of episodes of Modern Family. I loved that show when it was on years ago - a true comedy, and it really was a modern family!! 

DH agreed to pick me up, but my phone was dying, so I told him the scoop. He was stuck in traffic (Friday night rush hour), so when I got off the plane, I found an electrical outlet and charged my phone a bit. 

Then we went to the restaurant for a late dinner. Yep, I talked his ear off; I bet he missed me and my chatter all week. 

The girls, of course, were excited to see me, and we did NOT go for a walk because it was late by then, but I was still on Vancouver time, so I decided to do a wee bit of unpacking and then work on my jigsaw puzzle. I have seven nights to finish that. 

A bit more progress on the jigsaw puzzle

I scour the boards for more pieces and am starting to become familiar with what goes where. Then I attempt to locate a spot for them, then find more pieces. It's coming together, but it's slow. That's OK -- I'm good with slow. Remember my motto that I picked up in Africa, "Pole Pole", slow!!! I still wear that bracelet. 

I also got my jigsaw puzzle advent calendar in the mail. This thing went like hotcakes, but I scoured the internet until I found a copy in Alberta. And now, starting December first, I get to take part in it. 

My advent jigsaw puzzle

And that's a wrap for today. It's going to be a very busy weekend, but that's OK. A few busy weekends and days remain this year, but things are starting to wind down. Says me!!!!

Anyway, if you ever get the chance (who am I kidding, we are all going to have to move one day), I really enjoyed this last week. It was a ton of hard work, but it was so satisfying. I really enjoyed spending time with my aunt. Would I do it again? You bet I would. I would have loved to do that with my parents, especially my mom. The memories we could talk about, the things we looked at. All of that would have been fun with Mom, but she doesn't want it, and we would never have thrown anything away. 

That's the sad truth. And while the timing was a bit wonky for me, it didn't matter. I will still get my work done on time, and I had a wee enjoyable mini-vacation! 

I must run; I need to take the girls for a short walk before I have to leave. 

Notice there is no list today, BUT I have one final thought about decluttering. If you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to help a friend or a family relative, TAKE IT!!! Our time on this planet is limited, and if you don't reach out, help, and enjoy relationships, what is the point? 

It is going to be a GLORIOUS day!!!!

Ciao!!!

The art of decluttering - be organized!

I just want to say THANK YOU to those who follow the blog. While I don't know all of you personally, you are always there for me; you provide loads of support and always have great ideas. If you didn't know, you are helping motivate me to get my life in order. And I love all your comments. I love that some of you are, or have already, tackled your houses and the decluttering process; I love that you are getting off the bus one stop earlier than necessary and adding a few extra steps to your day. I think we are all motivating each other, and that makes one big supportive community, of which I am happy to be a part of!!! THANK YOU!!!! 

Nothing was created in a day, and our health didn't deteriorate in a day, but if you start small, you will be amazed at how short those long distances between stores really are. Keep up the good work, everyone!!! 

And if your families think you have gone mad, just ignore them. Smile and say, yes I have, but I'm alive, and I'm doing something about my crap or my health. Don't argue with them - agree with them, and soon they will keep quiet because you are not feeding their fire!!! Don't tell anyone, least of all DH, but that is my new stance. When he calls me crazy, I agree. I am!!! And well, I'm having fun. How about you?"

Go for it!!!

I will say that while we've had fun these last couple of days, it's been an exhausting exercise, mentally and physically, but the amount of work we got done is incredible. And to think I brought a small ball of yarn to crochet a scrubby -- what the heck was I thinking? That I would walk in the house and everything was already packed? 

I just wish I had one more day, because I could have finished the job completely. How many times have I said that? But I swear, we've been working like mad, and I know my aunt will be so happy when I'm gone. Well, hopefully not, but she won't have someone cracking the whip. I'm trying to leave the house somewhat uncluttered if you can believe it, because the clutter is overwhelming. 

Plus, I got her set up on WhatsApp so we can communicate quickly this week when she needs advice, encouragement, or wants to share what she's done. For some reason, our texting abilities have gone astray in the past. 

Not only did we have to pack up the house, but we also had to sort through it first. And then we packed. This is the typical scene in the house over the last couple of days. 

We sorted through a section and found stuff we no longer wanted/needed. We put those items by the front door. 

Stuff to be removed from the house

Then we moved the items to the garage or the car so we could get rid of them. 

Like magic - the stuff is gone.

I don't know how many times I have done that, and there is another pile of boxes at the front door that need to be moved to the garage this morning before I leave. 

Thank goodness for the garage/shop. It's been a godsend for keeping the house clear of clutter. We also spent some time in the garage sorting what my cousin will deal with and what's being picked up this morning. 

The picture below shows the side of the garage that the young lady is picking up this morning. Lucie has been an absolute angel; she came late yesterday afternoon and picked up all the metal stuff (two lawnmowers and two metal filing cabinets) that will go to the metal recycling this morning. Then she is coming back and will make several trips to clear it all out. Her goal is to find homes or recycling places for most of it, but much will still end up in the landfill, which is expensive. 

This crap will go this morning.

Lucie is like the 1-800 got junk for Salt Spring. A lovely, young, enterprising lady, and we are happy to support her. Sadly, I won't be here to see the half-empty garage, but I will get a picture after it's gone. I'm so excited, and seeing the clutter disappear will be good for my aunt. You know what they say -- out of sight, out of mind.  

I tell you, this is a daunting task, and seeing any clutter is overwhelming. It is for me; imagine if you were older? This is what clutter does to us in our houses -- it overwhelms us, and we become unable to function properly. You MUST start getting rid of it, and the more you do, the easier it gets and the better you will feel. 

So here's a starting point for you. If you inherited some of your parents/aunt/in-laws or whomever, start there and get rid of all their crap. Because that is what most of it is- CRAP. My grandfather had LOADS of sheet music. A good part of it was photocopied, and he bound all the edges with masking tape. I have no idea where he copied the music from, but he often did this. We all remember his love for playing the piano and singing at the same time. 

Some of Grandpa's music

We put all the music in the recycling bin yesterday. Was I sad when I tossed it? Absolutely not - I just wanted it dealt with. So imagine those sheets of music sitting around for over 30 years, untouched. Wait -- they were touched as they were moved from one place to another. So if you have stuff like that around your house --- get rid of it!!!!

Like so many things from our parents' era, most of the stuff (including furniture and dishes) is dated. Do yourself a favor and get rid of it today. Yes, TODAY!!!!! It's a perfect day to get rid of that kind of stuff, and when I get home, I won't have time for about three weeks to tackle it. Still, you bet I'm going to remember this week, and I'm going to print out those lists, or I'm just going to get my butt in gear and finish clearing out our garage and the office. 

Once that is done, I need to start back at the top of the house and attack the clothes closet (AGAIN!) I was ruthless the last time, but not nearly enough. I would love to cull my clothes down to one suitcase, my 50 lb suitcase. I only wear a few things, so why do I need all the rest? I might opt for two suitcases because I have a few coats and I wear them all. 

We had another small fire, and this time when I took the picture, I had the screen on top. I sent the pictures from the other day to Dad, and he scolded me for not having the screen on. The mesh is rather large and open, so any embers will escape regardless. The days of burning are over, and my hoe? The metal end fell off at the last stir, so I knew I was done!!!!

One last kick at the burning barrel

To make things easier, this area beside the front door is now where all the packing materials are stored. Boxes, bags, totes, etc. That way, when I needed a box, I could look at the pile and pick one. That area will stay until all the packing is done. 

The packing supply area

This area holds all the packed boxes. They are sealed and labeled. Yes, there are a few open things on the left, and my cousin will deal with those, hopefully this weekend. I have two cousins: one is coming this weekend to clear the garage, and the other will come the following week to help with the last-minute stuff and the final move. 

What we have packed

This is the area for the tape gun, labels, any information we might need this week, and stuff for the new owners. All neat and organized. 

The labeling area

The bedrooms are pretty much clear except for the clothes, other items my aunt will need, and the furniture, which will be picked up at the end. That leaves the large kitchen and eating area. 

I set up a small folding table in the eating area. This is where our young kids used to play when we came to visit. I remember M scooting along on her butt across that black-and-white checked floor. While it's been an exhausting couple of days, I would NOT have changed it. I've enjoyed the visit so much, and there are so many memories in this house. And the fact that I can help someone out  - it's all therapeutic. And a HUGE learning lesson for me. Even though I know all this, I need to get myself in gear, because I do NOT want to be in this situation when it's time for us to move. 

Especially the "dirty" areas, like the garden shed, the garage, the cold room in the basement. Those need to be cleared!!! 

We are not panic packing; there is no need for that. And as for me, I don't want to panic-pack when I move. As I mentioned earlier this week, I want to be able to call the real estate agent, put my house on the market, sell it, and move without having to declutter. It will all be possible; it is well within my reach, except for that basement, and I need to start dealing with that. 

Oops - I got sidetracked. So about 3 in the afternoon, we were finally ready to tackle the kitchen. I know, we had to deal with the garage, then make trips to various recycling places, get some groceries, and finally get to work. 

I will say that my aunt is a trooper. What we dealt with for the next 6 hours was the culmination of her life as an entertainer, a cook, a mother, and so much more. 

I would bring out dishes and other kitchen items and put them on the table. She could sit at the kitchen table and direct me to keep, donate, or throw away. It worked quite well, and I got to hear all kinds of stories about her life and where this dish or that dish came from. While we didn't clear the space entirely, we dealt with the things that have the most memories. 

Our staging table for decluttering the kitchen

It was hard work for both - physically for me, mentally for her. But we did accomplish so much. 

We also had to deal with this buffet-style cabinet, which was filled with glassware. And the counters were covered with more stuff. 

Progress!!!!! 

There are two sets of dishes still in there, both china. I think she has decided to keep the small set and use it every day. Yeah!!!!! We're hoping Lucie can pick up the other set today, but that is not my decision to make. Otherwise, all the upper cabinets are empty except what she needs to eat this week. 

We cleared about 1/3 of the lower cabinets, and she will have that task this week. I'll set up some boxes so she can put the giveaway stuff in them, and I suspect most of it will be giveaway, since the place she is going has meals except for breakfast. 

The last thing to deal with in the kitchen is the food. Again, she can putter through that stuff, and hopefully by the end of the week, it will be done. So all is good, and she will have something to occupy her this week. Otherwise, she'll have loads of time on her hands. My cousin will have 1 1/2 days to help with the final pack, so even if she doesn't tackle the kitchen, they should be able to do that.  

I still have a small box to pack this morning and move all the discarded glassware to the garage for Lucie to deal with. I'd better shower and change before I leave, or they may ask me to sit on the plane wing for the flight home! Sadly, no upgrade for the flight home. I'm in the upper half of the list, but it is long! 

It's funny how, when we move, we look around our house and comment on how shabby this or that looks and why we didn't fix it. The new owners will think we are lazy, dirty, or careless. I know my baseboards need painting, and the walls need repainting; some rooms haven't been painted since we moved in 23 years ago. It's not my priority. But we do have some things that we need/want to fix for us! While we enjoy the next 10+ years in our house. 

And here is a deer that we spotted from the kitchen window. Oh -- should I tell you the story about the booze? We found quite a few half-empty bottles of booze in one of the lower cabinets. We weren't sure how it would affect the septic system, so I went outside and dumped it down by the field. There might be a few drunk voles to deal with this morning. Then I put the bottles in the back of the car where they will be taken to the liquor store for refunds. 

One of the two deer in the field

I'm sure the car is going to stink this morning. I should have left them on the ground beside the car. To make matters worse, we left two bags of orange juice containers in the car because we forgot to take them to recycling (you can get money for them here). So if someone looked in the back of the car, they would think we had one wild party!!!! I had a good chuckle about that. 

We have a huge bag (again) of electronic waste, and we forgot to take it to the recycling depot. So my aunt will have a few small tasks like that to deal with. I'm going to send her a WhatsApp message each day to remind her what needs to be done. 

OK -- I will confess that I sent a box of stuff home to myself. I found a few books that I wanted to browse through and a couple of jigsaw puzzles. I didn't have time to browse the books, and trust me, I will share them with you because they look like fun. So that went home by mail, and I have a few things in my suitcase. More on that when I get home. Why the heck didn't I bring a slightly larger suitcase? 

Well, not to worry. 

Now ---in light of what I just said, DO NOT JUDGE me on this. 

But the next time someone asks you if you want something, just say NO THANKS. I already have a house full of clutter, and I don't need more. 

Unless it has some special meaning, like the demitasse spoons, which I must steal one this morning before I leave. And yes -- I have read the Spoon Stealer book. It was very good. I have a few stolen spoons at home. At least I think I still do. I must check that when I get home. 

But here's the other thing about an uncluttered house. I cleaned my kitchen cupboards and drawers before the pandemic. I can't find the post where I did that, but I'm pretty sure it was at least ten years ago, probably around 2017. And I cleared out HALF of what was in the cupboards and drawers. My kitchen is in pretty good shape. But the result of that decluttering is that it is super easy to maintain. Each item has a place, so when you are done, you put it back. Simple!!!! Guess how much "maintenance" our kitchen items require? NONE!!!!! 

That should be the same in any area of your house. 

Oh god -- I feel a list coming on!!!!

Some tips for decluttering BEFORE you move. 

1. Start piles around your house as you put "like" items together
2. Start small, but START
3. Once the "like" items are together, you can now evaluate what you have
4. Then sort into what you want and don't want, what is good to donate, and what is garbage
5. Then find a nice home for the things you want (be ruthless and honest) - do you really need three sets of dishes? Or 25 coffee mugs? 
6. Then get rid of what you don't need; throw it away or give it away, but be mindful: donating to a thrift store is NOT always the right move. How many "BEST MOM" mugs do they want? NONE!!!! So some of that stuff (sadly) ends up in the landfill. 
7. Think the next time you want to buy a cute, very specific gift, it will likely end up in the landfill, so maybe a gift card for Tim's is more appropriate and useful. I'm thinking teacher gifts here -- get more creative. How many teacher mugs does one teacher need each year? 

OK -- that's it for today. By the time I edit this, it will be time to get moving. I have to finish packing my suitcase, move that stuff, have a bite to eat, and then I'm off. OH -- and have a shower! 

It will be a GLORIOUS day, and hopefully there'll be no fog to contend with as the seaplanes fly on visuals!!!! 

Ciao!!!!!