The backyard blooms

Sounds like I'm not the only one traveling! Just go with the flow -- life is too short to get upset at anything! 

I was hoping to get more done yesterday, but that didn't happen. I got a quilt loaded on the long arm and hoped to get it quilted, but I couldn't muster the energy. I was going to do paperwork, and that wasn't happening either. So then, at a very early time this morning, I was awake and got some paperwork done. 

The problem is that I'm back on a plane tomorrow, and there's so much to tidy up. Look at the mess in Studio B. This is from several weeks ago, and there was no time to deal with it. And there's still no time to deal with it. 

Stuff in Studio B to deal with

More stuff to unpack

And then I got the bright idea to do some tidying in the office, so I moved a lot of stuff to the kitchen table to make it more "inviting" to clean. 

Stuff to deal with

And more stuff on the counter. 

And more stuff to deal with

And a few things are on the table. 

And even more stuff to deal with

But look at how clean the table in the office is!!!

The table in the office

I did manage to get a fair number of things dealt with despite my lack of energy! Yes -- a lazy day, to be sure! I even got a box packed to donate, so it was productive, just not as much as I planned. But that's OK -- one more box of stuff out the door is one more box. 

DH is coming home later today, so I'd better move all that back into the office. I know -- a waste of time, but that's OK. It's all a learning experience, and the amount of moving is getting less and less each time I get motivated, so it's all good! 

The day before, I had to stop at the NEW Value Village on my daily walk. It's a big store, and of course, it's packed with stuff. I found a couple of books that I probably didn't need, but I bought them anyway, and two cushion covers that will be perfect for doing some embroidery. 

Shopping at Value Village

I have specific areas that I check out, and I found this homemade quilt in the linens section. It's a fairly new quilt made from batiks, and it was a steal if anyone wanted that kind of quilt. 

A batik quilt for sale

I also stopped at the hardware store to check for furniture for my front step. This is what I would like/ 

An egg chair

But this is more likely what I'll get. 

Furniture set

Yes -- I know I should get what I want, but it is the front, and I can envision that more expensive item being whisked away in the night. Plus, I was warned not to buy anything I could fall asleep in for the front! That's the main reason. The egg chair will work for the back! But I rather like my lounger in the gazebo, so I don't really need the egg chair. I can save some money!

I came home to find blooms galore in the backyard. The lilies are out in full force, and there are 6 at the moment. 

Lilies in the pond

If Murphy would stop eating this iris, it would likely bloom better, but it's got beautiful yellow blooms.  

MOM -- this iris is tasty!

The lilac in the back of the gazebo is blooming and smells wonderful. And the peony is also starting to bloom, but I didn't get a picture of that. 

The lilac in bloom

Speaking of the gazebo, I attempted a few quiet moments yesterday, but that's pretty much impossible with these two troublemakers. 

MOM -- are you OK in here? 

And as I was cleaning off the table in the office, I decided it was time to crack open another shoe box. 

New shoes

I'm sporting open sandals. I like them so far, but these would be too small for the Camino, but I'm testing to see if I like that style. 

Open sandals

Both girls are at rest at the moment, but Murphy? Well, she is rarely quiet. Her and that BALL!! 

MOM -- just resting for the next round of playing

While cleaning up the office, I came across my Trendtex challenge kit. Sigh -- I never even got an idea for this one. The bundle has been pulled apart and will be added to my stash. The same thing for the Cherrywood Challenge. I had loads of time for each, but I did not make it a priority and focus; both were abandoned before I even started. However, I completed ONE challenge in the individual category for Quilt Canada. I'll share that with you when I see it later this week. 

My abandoned Trendtex challenge

So much to do and so little time to get it done. It's all about focus and setting priorities. This is good, but you need the time to focus on what you want to do, and with everything going on at the moment, there's not much time. But that's OK --- the travel will be over in a few weeks, and then I hope to have a few more moments to myself. 

On that note, I think I'll skip spin class this morning (GASP!) and try to get an hour of sleep before getting the day started. Why does sleep evade us when we need it most? Although I was in bed early, I got five hours of sleep, but I wanted more! Maybe, I'll just nap this afternoon!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!