Welcome to Canada!

 I love living close to the airport. Our house is not situated under a flight path, we are slightly to the south, although we can see when planes land at both runways and there are occasions when we can hear the planes. We are close enough to identify the airline of the planes! But it's such a low noise, dependent on the cloud cover, and we don't hear the wheels open nor the takeoff and landing noises that I'm OK with it. I love watching the planes come in. 

But there is another reason I love living close to the airport. We got the text from M that her plane landed at 1 AM. Plus I checked the app, when my alarm went off. And I was back in bed at 2 AM. I don't know how many hours it took her to get from Bodrum, Turkey to Toronto, but let's say there were a few. I don't know the entire story yet, but it involved two of three flights being canceled. A complete failure of the Turkish Airlines flight system so rebooking was not an option, a very long bus ride with multiple stops, rebooking flights, long layouvers and a long flight home. 

I'm not sure who was more excited to see her - Bear or I or Dad. But we all trooped to the airport and because she had NO CHECKED luggage and did her Arrive Can check (although the system was broken and they had to manually fill out the forms), she got through quickly and we were home before we knew it! 

My MOM is home!!!! I LOVE her!

Of course, our two girls were excited. They are always excited when someone comes. Needless to say, Little Bear did not sleep with me last night. But he is still going to need his walk!!!!

All I can say is I'm super proud of my kid! Well, she's not a kid, but I'm super proud of her and how she managed to get through those long hours without panicking (the worst thing you can do when traveling and something goes wrong), but methodically thinking out what needs or can be done and then making it happen. 

We'll still see Mister Bear for a few more days, before she makes the final trip back to her home, which is on the other side of this country in Vancouver. 

Here's a picture of her after the long bus ride to Instabul. 

Happy to be in Instalbul

I had to laugh when I saw her luggage, because even though she didn't have check-in, she had WAY more cabin luggage than I like to see. Her one carry-on sized suitcase (how the heck did that happen?), a very heavy backpack, and then a separate bag, which was concealed under her coat when boarding! But the plane wasn't full last night and it sure the heck makes life easy when you travel if all your luggage is with you. You can do anything. If your luggage is checked, you are at the mercy of the airlines to get it back! 

Look at this little guy -- just hanging out. 

Waiting for my MOM!!

I can bet that the first thing that happens to him after his walk is to get a bath! Oops -- Dog Grandma is not so good on the baths! But hey - he just gets dirty again real quick!

I had a pretty decent day and remembered to go for my massage. It's OK to wear socks and sandals - especially if they are the same color, so no one notices!!!! Despite working out some major kinks in my shoulders, the massage was great. 

Socks and sandals

But I spent most of the day in Studio B. I seem to be working in slow motion mode and although I got a couple things done on my list, nothing actually got finished. I think I have four more things to embroider and then I must put the machines away and focus on finishing.

I'm THRILLED with what I could create and I've LOADS of pictures for the digital cutter group,  machine embroidery, and software over the next couple of weeks. I'm super excited!!!! Then I'll share them with you. 

I also got more work done on the homework prep. Boy oh boy -- the pattern I'm dealing with is one of the Quiltworx patterns. I love their pattersn, but I hate the waste. So for the first two classes, it's all about showing them how to read the pattern and how to eliminate the waste. I don't have the final number, but I know we can shave yards off the requirements list and that bothers me. But the designers go for speed, not finesse and what do they care how much fabric you waste. 

The class is full so you can't join, but I am teaching the group how to interpret ANY of their patterns and how to save fabric on ANY of them, not just this one. 

Let's say that when I shut off the lights last night in Studio B, it looks like a tornado went through. I just noticed one of Murphy's toys -- how did that get there? 

Studio B is a disaster!

And I was so fired up with machine embroidery yesterday that I wanted to start another project, but first I needed to find a silver tin filled with brightly colored polyester ribbon and most likely filled with matching thread. Do you think I could find the tin? Not a chance. I remember where I last used that tin and it wasn't at my house. So I sent an e-mail to the dealer asling if by chance I left it there. So let's see what happens. I felt silly doing that, but where else would that tin be? 

Then I received a silly question from another dealer, so I felt my e-mail was justified!

And I've been out walking. I was behind and I needed to catch up and I'm trying to slip in one more KM each day. I was 45 KM (or 5%) behind a while back. Slowly and surely, I've been playing catchup and now I'm only 1% behind. I'm not sure how many KM that is, but I'm getting there. I just checked -- it's just under 8 KM behind. I should be able to stay on track for the remiander of the year. Just get off the couch and do it - regarless of what the weather or if you're sick! That is MY mantra -- not for you!

The red thing is the pace marker and I'm right behind it!

And I have to say that since I stopped taking that medication, my nose has been sniffly, and all those disgusting secretions that come with a cold. So that othat medication really helped! I might take some allergy stuff just becuase the sniffly nose is super annoying. 

Remember, I mentioned reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus? I'm listening to the audiobook and the narrator is excellent. It is a wonderful story, that was set in the 50s and 60s. Oh boy -- that wasn't so long ago and the expectations around women and what they were and were not allowed to do! The mere thought is maddening. This story is fiction, but I imagine there were women like Elizabeth, who helped the women. It's a cute story, but has a very chilling message about the "freedom" of women. Imagine that wearing trousers was frowned upon! 

Sadly there are many other gender stories around that would blow our minds. Did you know in Turkey when you book a bus that the seats are booked by gender? Yep! Not sure if husband and wife could sit together, but you cannot sit beside a man on a bus if you are a woman!

Anyway -- if you get a chance to read the book, it'll make you laugh and cry. I LOVE IT. It almost makes me want to watch the TV show. 

I wonder if she wrote other books? 

Well, I'd better get going because today is going to be an insane day. A LOT of going here and there in the car - no choice and well, we're all going out for dinner tonight and I have classes that are NOT prepped and I need to get myself in gear! HIGH gear that is!

Have a super day and if your kids are around - give them a hug today and tell them you love them and that you are proud of them! We didn't hear that enough, when my generation was kids and our kids need to know that we love them! Even if you don't see eye to eye with them - that's OK. Did your parents see eye-to-eye with you? Mine didn't, so I don't expect the same to happen to me and M! 

Cioa!!!