Unfinished business

 I'm such a good talker, but am I a good doer? 

This is the issue with my e-mail. Look at the number of e-mails in the inbox and how many of them are unread!! Yep --- it's a huge issue and it didn't take long for this to happen. 

That's a lot of JUNK e-mail

So true to my word, I sorted the inbox alphabetically and then I started at Z and started to delete and unsubscribe. Why start at the end? Just for something different. Now I'll admit that I didn't get too far, as I then got into my folders and decided how many class e-mails did I need to keep? So a lot of folders got deleted. I went through the spam folder and a few other generic folders. I want to try and get this under control and then call Microsoft to further refine the folder system. 

The big question is how much to unsubscribe from? All or some? The thing is, if know these sites exist so if I want to buy something, I know where to find it. It is almost rare that I'll buy something based on an e-mail that comes in. The only downside is that sometimes a notification of a seminar comes in or some information that interests me. So I'll have to do some soul-searching for some of them. And it's not a bad thing to receive e-mail, but it should be from companies that you will open the e-mail and look at it. Like my favorite (and local) quilt shops. I'll stay on their distribution lists. 

And if some company or person sends more than one a week -- they are GONE!!! That's just too much!

That's going to be a huge job to get that under control, but I NEED to, and I also want to. I'm tired of having a ridiculous e-mail inbox where I miss things and there's no need to have it filled with junk that I don't need or want. Slow and steady!!!!

However, not finishing something seems to be a life issue. I get all fired up about something and I start to tidy/sort or whatever and then I lose steam! Case in point, I found this yesterday. 

Unsorted boxes of thread

A while back, I got this new cabinet and plastic containers for my embroidery thread. I love the setup and it works amazing for me. However, there were THREE containers of thread that hadn't been sorted yet and there they sat. So while the long arm was quilting (yes -- everything went fine yesterday), I sorted those last three containers of thread. Yeah!!!! The embroidery thread is now sorted!!!

My embroidery thread

I have decided that I do NOT need any more embroidery thread. Perhaps I'm missing a color or two from the entire line of thread, but seriously --- can I not figure out how to substitute a yellow for a pale yellow? In most cases, it doesn't matter if I don't use the exact shade and to be honest, I'm not that kind of person. I make it up as I go. In an ideal world, those two flat boxes on top of the cabinet will be integrated into the other boxes when space opens up. They are overflow from some of the colors. 

The bottom line --- do NOT buy more embroidery thread unless it is to replace a color that I use frequently -- like black or white. Make due with what you have!!!

And then when I was sorting the remainder of my other threads, there were two containers that I never touched. 

Two unsorted baskets of other thread

Seriously??? Why do I always get the job almost done and then fail to complete? So I spent some time organizing that as well. There is now just ONE box of thread left to sort and I'll try to do that later today. My brain can only handle so much sorting and when you get down to the last bits, it's hard as you're not sure what to do with some of it. And let me say that when sorting the embroidery threads, it was hard to define some of those colors!! Is that grey? or a pale blue? or a mauve? Some of them are hard to tell and if they are hard to tell on the spool? They will be impossible to tell on an embroidery!!!!

One last box of thread

The other thing that I have to deal with is things that I have sorted, and know that I want to get get rid of it, but never did anything with it. Like this container of paper supplies that I was planning to donate to the college where I took the textile program many years ago. I'l make a note to call the school and see if I can drop it off and then it's out of my house!!!!! 

Paper supplies to donate

This is all going to get cleaned up and hopefully sooner than later, but it's time consuming!! That's the problem with having lots of stuff --- the more you have, the bigger the job to get rid of it or deal with it!!! I'm making a good effort!!! And one day, it'll be good! Let's hope that's not the day when we downsize and then the remainder that I have will not fit in a smaller space!! But NO -- we are not going to worry about that!! It's all going to be good. 

I just do not want anyone else to be saddled with cleaning up my mess. I'm the one that created it -- I should be the one to deal with it. I just wish that someone had of told me/warned me years ago and I could have prevented it! But live and learn!!!!

OH -- I counted the number of quilts in the basket that are to be quilted for Quilts of Valour -- only seven, not ten. PHEW -- that's saves a bit of time. I did not finish ripping out the quilting on the last Barbie quilt, so I loaded one of the Quilts of Valour quilts instead. 

However, I managed to get the last three of that batch of eight Barbie quilts quilted. 

Community project quilt - DONE

Two more community project quilts - DONE

Look at the backing I found for the last two. 

The backing for two of the quilts

Now, none of them are huge, but still -- it's a job to get the backings and the batting ready. Then to load them and quilt them -- it all takes time. 

All eight of them are trimmed and five of them have the binding stitched to one side. I hope to get the remainder done today. Well, let's see what today has in store!!!! And you imagine the space I would have if I could get ALL those community project quilts quilted? The amount of batting scraps, backing, and quilt tops --- I'd have so much room!!! But all in good time. Slow and steady!!!!

Here's something from The Camino that I thought I'd share with you. So while I'm not super interested in the paperwork of the compostella (the completion paper or the half completion paper). You have to request and pay for them. 

However, there is one thing that you need in order to walk and that is your Pilgrim passport. You needed this to get into the albergues since they are only for the pilgrims walking the Camino. 

Each albergue would stamp and date the passport. As well, there are restaurants and cathedrals that will also stamp and date the passport. 

As you can see, my passport from last year (on the left) is pretty prestine. I kept it in my backpack, which was very inconvenient. So this year, I started off by keeping it in my waist pouch, which worked extremely well, except it got wet from sweat!!! So I ended up putting it in a plastic bag to protect it. 

My two Camino passports

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I was't a bit fan of collecting stamps from everywhere -- I got the required one a day as a minimum and sometimes I got two. This is my passport from 2022. 

Inside my 2022 Camino Passport

And here's my passport from this year. 

My 2023 Camino Passport

For the last 100 KM, you need to get the passport stamped twice a day if you want the certificate. I might just take both passports next year in case I need more room. 

You can buy the passports from your country's Camino office or buy it when you start in St. Jean Pied de Porte. While, it's a fun souvenir, it's also necessary -- you cannot walk the Camino without it. Well, you can, but you can't stay in the albergues. 

I did 10,000 steps yesterday! Yeah!!!!  I will say that the physio treatment made a huge difference to my knee. It's still not 100% (far from it) and I'm not pushing. Walk or stand some and then rest. I didn't get a chance to rest as much as I needed and by 7:20  PM, I was gone!! Of course, that makes me wake up at ridiculous o'clock, but I suspect part of me is still 6 hours ahead!!

But it's all baby steps and I'm not worried about my knee at all. Just keep that blasted thing moving because if I stop, it's going to seize up and then I'm doomed!!!!

Lots of other stuff happening, but I've run out of time!!!!

There's a virtual retreat this weekend. The links are in separate blog posts. To be honest, I'm not sure I'll participate, but I might stop in to say hi at some point. I really have zero desire to chat to people right now! How rude is that???? But I"' enjoying my peace and quiet and when I'm ready, I"ll be there with a vengeance - right now, I need the solitude. 

And I desperately need to get a new keyboard for my computer. Using two computers to create a blog post is a bit ridiculous!!! Hopefully, today!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!