Around the neighborhood

The serger event in Hamilton is NOT hybrid, so if anyone wants to hear it -- you have to attend in person! But I believe it's in the evening. And I spent the day sorting, organizing, and putting everything in order. I still need to pack and unpack suitcases, but since I need them tonight, I have no choice but to do it today. 

There seems to be so much I want to do, have to do, and I hear the call of the outdoors and well -- you know what happens. 

However, I'm happy to report that I finished the customer quilt of the day by dinner time! That was a nice change, but I was at the serger until late! Again, a NO drama day at the long arm! 

The end of the quilt before dinner

Customer quilt - DONE

I won't have time today or tomorrow for more quilting, but I aim to get the next one loaded! 

As I was going through the serger stuff, I came upon a project I had finished making the top, but it wasn't completely together. I didn't like the way it looked or the color of the thread I used, so I decided to take it apart. At first, I was tempted to cut the serged seams off, but then I tried ripping it apart, which was super easy. YES --- you can easily take serged seams apart. I don't recommend it, but you can do it if you know how! 

All the thread bits

And so, with little effort, the entire project is apart, and I hope to put it back together again. Some of my serger stitches require a little bit of practice, and like everything, one needs to try different stitches and thread combinations to find something you like! I have to say that I'm so comfortable with the serger now -- OK -- so I still have loads that I could probably learn (or at least become more comfortable with), but I am in good shape! Heck -- I'm comfortable with an embroidery machine, but I'm still learning all the time. I won't go into detail, but you would be SHOCKED at how much you can learn by reading the User's Guides! 

TWICE yesterday, I went into various User Guides and found information for people. I don't usually do that, but I wanted to double-check the information (and I was right!), but when it's something I'm not super familiar with, I always check!

I needed some elastic for another serger project I want to finish today. When one needs elastic, you go to the fastenings tub to find it, and yes -- I had exactly the color and type I needed. Having a stash of stuff and being organized is a great thing! Who knew? 

My tub of fastenings

Our next-door neighbor is home for two weeks and seems intent on trimming and tidying up his yard, which is great. It was not super bad, but it was starting to show four years of neglect. I had mentioned to him the COMPLETELY dead cedars along the fence that I had our landscaper cut down. No big deal. Imagine my surprise when I saw this. 

Where did the tops of the cedars go?

He literally chopped the LIVE and in-good-shape cedars in half! Yes -- he cut the tops off of them. Now I appreciated seeing those cedars from my computer and the fact that birds made their nests in them, and they love the cedars for nest-making. Sigh -- so, while I appreciate what he's doing, he went too far!!

He did clean up the half-dead cedars so they look tidier, but those will have to go in a year or two. Why didn't he chop those entirely down and leave the live ones alone? 

The half-dead cedars are intact! 

And it was recycling day in our area. I don't get it --- people have ZERO respect for how recycling is picked up and zero respect for the people that do the job. It was windy yesterday, so that's even more reason to flatten those boxes and tie them together so they don't blow around. It's a disgrace. Even throwing an unflattened box in the recycling bin -- the bin fills up much faster and then overflows! Don't be lazy; flattening a box takes a few seconds! If I were the pick-up people, I wouldn't touch this mess! 

Recycling pick-up nightmare

We have the large cart and put it out once a month - when it's full. What's the point of putting it out every two weeks if it's not full? If you've correctly recycled your stuff, this cart shouldn't smell; since it's in the cart, it's out of the way. And I get that some families are larger than ours, but I see overflowing recycling bins every two weeks. What the heck are people buying? Oh --- I forgot  --- TONS of packaged food, which I won't go there. 

So I went for my walk, and while I'm still slightly behind, I'm making up ground. Then I was outside enjoying the warm weather. Of course, I had company, and look at the two of them! What silly girls! So they were NOT howling, although it seems like it. They were "fighting" with each other! They are NOT interested in being outside alone, although Lexi slept outside the night before. Nope -- they just want to entertain Mom!

Mom -- we love YOUUUUUUUU!!!

And I'm leaving the door open for them since the weather is so mild. Not wide open, but open enough for them to come in. So why does Murphy sit outside the second patio door beside the open one and gently bark that she needs to be let in? And I thought she was the smart one!

But when the day was done, here they were. Lexi was on the couch with DH, who had left to do something, Murphy tucked in the tiny bed, and NO one in the big bed. 

MOM -- let sleeping dogs lie!!!

Those girls are hours and hours of entertainment, for sure. 

I didn't want to write my list of three things before going to bed, but I did. Which was a good thing as it made me think hard about what has to be done today! Then I had one of those restless nights, which is never good before spin class. I see a nap in my afternoon! 

I stopped by Indigo at the request of a friend and picked the remainder of those weekly planners! Let's say there are no more at my local store! 

And I just looked at my May schedule - OH -- it's another silly month, so I've got to keep that in mind as I'm planning! 

Speaking of planning, if anyone wants to get in on the quilt Advent boxes, the time to preorder is now. I won't promote any specific one, but they are on the appropriate social media sites. Do NOT wait, as once they are sold out -- they are sold out! 

Well, on that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a super day! 

Ciao!!!