Dealing with detritus

OK -- so where has our warm weather gone? It feels like March! Rainy and cool, but that is better than snow, so we shouldn't complain, and it provides me ZERO temptation to be outside in the gazebo while I have quilts to do! 

Here's the latest customer quilt. This is the Green Tea and Sweet Beans quilt I ran as a sew-along last year, and while the colors in this quilt are NOT my choice, I love the quilt, and it makes me happy to look at it. 

Customer quilt - DONE

One minor issue with the quilt. OK -- it wasn't the quilt but the operator of the long arm. I use tape as a registration mark. No more pins, as I had a BIG issue with using a pin as a registration mark, but we won't go there. After the machine starts the row, I sometimes remove the tape if it's in the way of the stitching. You don't need to understand that -- just know there's a rogue piece of tape running around while I quilt. 

When I went to move the marker, I couldn't find the tape. Now that's not a big deal, but I'd hate to leave the tape on the quilt, and it gets stitched in place. I use green painter's tape, so it was hard to see on this quilt. 

I got a new piece of tape and was good to go, but where is the original? 

Well, I found the tape later in the day -- yep -- it was stuck on my shirt sleeve! Always something silly happening at my house! 

The missing piece of tape

Then I got the bug about the mess on the desktop. Oops -- sorry for the blurry picture, but that is what's on the desktop. It's not a lot, but still, some ugly stuff to go through, including paper, which is NOT my strong point. 

The messy desktop

I am still looking for that box of jewelry. I knew where it used to sit, and when I cleaned up another area, I moved it, but where to?? 

Anyway, I grabbed a basket of crap and sorted it. It literally is the detritus of life on that desktop. All the things that I didn't know what to do with before or just got put in with other junk. What a mess, and where does one start? 

The contents of the basket

Thankfully, I don't have many junk baskets left, but enough. And they are mainly in this office, but giant leaps and bounds in progress have been made, so I feel rather fortunate about that. There used to be boxes, baskets, and bags, but a LOT of it has been dealt with by me. 

I have a friend dealing with a hoarder, and OH MY GOSH -- I can't believe the stories she tells. The house owners definitely have some issues as they CANNOT see the junk. It is disheartening that every week when she returns, the house is WORSE than it was the week before. Rotten food on the counters, in the fridge, rats in the backyard, and they CANNOT see or understand what the problem is. Oh boy -- I told her to call the city and let them deal with the house. 

What did I find in that mess? A LONG, LONG, LONG dog lead. Why do I have that? No idea - it was from a previous dog, and I'll never use it, so it's in the giveaway box. I also found a harness for the car for Murphy. I should keep that and use it, as it's dangerous for a dog to be loose in the car. When I got hit several years ago, EVERYTHING flew in the car, even my glasses off my face, and how weightless those are. Yep --- dogs NEED to be secured in the car, just like babies! 

Dog leads and harnesses

I'll have to watch the video to see how to put it on, as I couldn't figure it out. But I'll need to get one for Lexi as well. Although they are rarely in the car, I would hate to see them hurt because I haven't secured them. They will HATE it. Your arm will NOT hold them in place, but how often do we do that -- we stick out our arm if we have to brake quickly! You don't have time in an accident, and you'll break your arm if you do that! 

Speaking of Murphy, she has become a stick dog! She loves sticks but has never picked them up in the forest; now, it's her thing. The minute we enter, she looks for a stick. I had to laugh as we started with a small one, then graduated to a larger one (this one), and she dropped it by a log. Ah, Murphy -- that is not going to work. Then she got bored of carrying sticks and carried on, scouring for squirrels. 

MOM -- I got a big stick! 

And the trilliums are almost in bloom! Maybe today or tomorrow. 

The trilliums are almost in bloom

Back to the junk basket - what else did I find? Oh god --- a card from Black's so I could print photos. I know there was money on that card, but they no longer exist. I think I can toss that and say goodbye to the money on the card. WAIT A MINUTE  - I just checked, and they have an online store. Maybe I'll rescue that card and get some photos printed. Will they accept the card? If they do -- maybe they print photo books or posters? 

More junk

But seriously -- who prints photos these days? I haven't printed a picture in years! I also found two journals with to-do lists in them. I am notorious for starting lists in a journal, and then it gets abandoned. Now why is that? 

I tried very hard NOT to just move something to a new location. Well, put it back on the desktop to deal with another day. I tried very hard to deal with everything. This is what still sits on the table. 

Stuff still to deal with

Yes, there is a medal from a half-marathon. I did NOT run the marathon, but I volunteered (as I have for many years!) and got the chance to take a medal at the end. Why? I've decided to keep the ribbon to go with the other volunteer stuff from which I want to make a memory quilt, and the medal goes. 

I did not do too badly, but there are a few things I've no idea what to do with, and they might get put back on the desktop, and I'll have to deal with it another day. It's stuff I want to keep -- I'm just not sure where to put it yet. 

I did not get to the dollar store for more tubs for the thread. Nope -- I remembered that I have some blue tubs in my storage area, so I dug those out. They are PERFECT, and they were FREE. I have three of them -- one for each of the 12, 30, and 40-weight threads. No time yesterday to sort it, so that will have to wait a bit. 

Tubs for the thread

You know what they say -- it will get messy while tidying and sorting before it gets clean, and that's what Studio B looks like right now. It's a disaster, but I'm OK with that. 

I had to take the car to PetsMart to get dog food for Murphy, and I spotted this at the same time another customer did. We both chuckled at it and wondered why this was specifically for dogs. I think it's the material it was made of -- it's pretty durable, so their nails don't puncture it. Good thing Murphy wasn't with me as she would have thrown a tantrum wanting it for the pond! It would be great if you were a canoeist -- you could tow it behind the canoe so the dog wouldn't have to swim! 

A raft for dogs

It's incredible how much stuff there is for camping/hiking with your dog. The big question is -- if you're hiking -- who gets to carry the dog's "air-cooled" blanket? Oh, that's why you buy the wagon! Well, not if you're hiking. My dogs would have no issue sleeping on the ground - even Lexi! She loves to sleep in the dirt and hay under the shed in the backyard. 

I spotted this giant fat snail on the sidewalk as we left the restaurant last night. Hopefully, no one squished him!

A giant fat snail! 

Two presentations this morning, and I'm mostly ready for both. The next quilt is loaded on the long arm, and I have something I want to embroider, so it will be a jam-packed day!

Remember that we have the Virtual Retreat tonight and tomorrow! I can't wait to see everyone!!! Be sure to stop by and say HI -- you don't have to stay, but you'll want to! 

Saturday, April 29 Starting at 6 PM. 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday, April 30, Starting at Noon EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86119598156?pwd=ZDFxcElxS0NmeTRjczdSR2FXd3N2Zz09

Meeting ID: 861 1959 8156
Passcode: 053861

And on that note, I"m out of here! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!