Murphy is under the weather

Thanks for the comments yesterday. I'm surprised there were not more that roasted me for being "harsh." I get it that some people absolutely adore decorating for any holiday, making meals, etc. And I'm totally for that. But when it comes to the point that you shut everything else down for a month? That's a bit much! What about if you need a storage unit for your decorations? I guess we all have our priorities!

Again, I'm not against giving money as a gift, but I'm not fond of it when you don't know what else to give. Then don't give money for the sake of giving a gift. Give them money during the year when they need something new. Why does it have to be an "obligation" at Christmas? 

As someone said, advertising should be banned. That's a bit drastic, but the peer pressure that advertising puts on people is enormous. And then we wonder why we have mental health issues and stress. If you try to keep up with the Joneses, good luck! There are too many of them today; everything is "perfect" when you follow social media. 

Make informed gift-giving choices. Ask if you can stop exchanging gifts. Decide about age limits and let the family know. Make Christmas more about presence than presents. It can make a world of difference. Things do not buy happiness, but your company can cheer someone up for days. 

So, someone was not feeling well yesterday. Murphy was extremely agitated and clingy, so I couldn't do anything without keeping my hand on her to settle her. I finally caved and put her Thundershirt on despite the higher temperatures. 

MOM -- I'm not feeling well

I had a call at 10 a.m., and she settled at my feet, after which she seemed a little better. There was a lot of wind yesterday, and with all the leaves falling, perhaps that was the issue? I know she has hurt her front leg, and I'm unsure whether that was from the failed attempt to jump on the dresser. She did squeak when she made that attempt, so I suspect she has a bruise. 

She was limping, so we didn't go for our usual walk. 

Later in the afternoon, the two girls enjoyed the nice weather in the backyard. But Murphy barked at everything, so I wouldn't let her stay out for long. 

MOM -- just enjoying the nice weather

The two of them then had to investigate something at the front. Surprisingly, they are the same size but much different in weight. Murphy is stocky and sturdy, while Lexi is dainty! 

MOM -- we're guarding! 

She wasn't her usual self last night or this morning, so we'll see how she walks. If she doesn't improve today, I may take her to the vet for some pain meds. Poor thing. It must be killing her not to jump and leap around like she usually does!

I made good strides in accomplishing things yesterday. I need to take at least one thing a day off either of those two tables to get them empty by the end of the year. Yesterday, I pulled a partially finished quilt top off. Good grief—I know why it got stalled. I needed to cut more fabric, but where is the fabric? I slightly panicked about that as I promised to quilt it today and send it off. 

I was going to attempt Plan B this morning with some scraps, but then I realized I needed way more than was in the scrap box. I swear I had cut this fabric from a bolt. But when I calmed down and looked in the blue stash box, there was the fabric! Sheesh!!! 

So it's almost together, and I'll get it on the long arm later this morning. 

At one point in the day, there was a crash. Oh shoot, I accidentally kicked a bolt of fabric on which these backings were balanced. And after a bit, down they went. Yes -- they should be on the shelf, but there isn't room at the moment. 

Crash!

So I stood the bolt of fabric upright and balanced the backings on them. All is good for the moment. I just need to keep my feet from knocking that over. It's the first time, so it's all good. 

Back in their temporary spot

The four tubs of Christmas fabric were picked up yesterday. Yeah!!!! I think the recipient will have fun with it all and make some kits for pillowcases or whatever she wants. It's out of my house! There is ONE more small tub of stuff I need to find homes for, and I'll try to post some of it this week. 

The four tubs of Christmas fabric - GONE

Speaking of pillowcases, if you have nothing to do or want to get rid of yardage FAST, you can make pillowcases for the Comfy Cases project. I had a couple of days where the kits were made, and people came and sewed them. I got rid of a lot of yardage that day! Check out the website for the dimensions. They are OK with Christmas ones, but the fabric must be 100% cotton, with no metallic threads. Go by the instructions on the webpage!!!!

And in return for those four boxes of Christmas fabric, I got four small quilt tops to quilt. They will be donated to Project Linus and now sit on those two blue tubs in the storage room! 

Four more community project quilts

I had to piece the backing for this flannel quilt, but it got loaded and quilted last night. These are made from my flannel yardage. Yep, I gave it all up for Diane to make these quilts. When was I ever going to get a chance to use it? Now, in my lifetime, I see the benefits of my purchase. 

Community project quilt - DONE

I have a few bindings that I need to get on, and I hope to get to that today. Now, SIX quilts need the binding sewn on, and all six are on those tables! That would free up some room. 

As I'm sewing blocks for Dear Jen (more on that tomorrow) or Spice Market, I've been using these black-and-white blocks as my enders and leaders. HOLY!!! I'm making amazing progress. 

Ender/leader project

I pieced a bunch of the black-on-white strips (on the right), and most of them are sewn onto the block you see on the left. Then, I'll make the longer strip to sew to the other two sides. Before I know it, this one set of blocks will be complete. Then, I get to do the same thing to the other set. The blocks can be assembled, and the top quilted and donated! It's easy as pie!!!

I can't stress enough how great it feels to clear those main work surfaces! Yes, there are two elephants in the room, but I can overlook them (temporarily) while I'm working. At least things aren't falling on the floor from a too-crowded workspace. Even the cutting table is looking pretty good. 

What's even better is that I have the time. While I have loads to do, I LOVE not having commitments or deadlines that prevent me from enjoying the sewing. DH drove the car to a meeting yesterday, so I'm probably off the hook to drive him to physio. But he has these visions that now that the brace is off, everything should be easy, like putting on and taking off a jacket. NOT SO!!! 

I'm keeping an eye on my KMs to meet my walking challenges. And I notice there is quite a difference per day in the amount recorded. If my FitBit says 13.73 KM as it did yesterday, the amount recorded on the computer is 11.35. That's a HUGE difference, and I'm being cheated!!! Is the one recorded the more realistic one? I wonder why there is such a discrepancy. 

On that happy note, I have some urgent paperwork to do this morning, and then I'll be downstairs to do some sewing. 

By the way, the weather is totally out of whack. Here it is, Halloween, and I'm wearing shorts. I took the girls for a quick walk last night after 7 p.m. as I needed a few more steps for the day. I was wearing shorts! It's weird!!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Notes on decluttering and gift giving

Thanks for the great comments—I need to respond to some of them! But YES, those Open Earbuds are better for ear health. I never thought about moisture and infection as potential side effects of wearing regular earbuds, but if you wear them long enough, it could happen. Well, no worries in this house. 

However, I will say that I've already lost my open earbuds. WHAT? Foolish me? How could I have done that? And I'm happy about it. OK—now I've totally gone off my rocker, you say. Nope—I lent them to DH to try, and he likes them. So I gave him my original pair, and now I can order (from Best Buy) the orange ones! A win-win!!!

That logistical errand got done, but it took a long time to make it happen. I made it back in time to get DH to his physio appointment. He can ditch the brace today, and I know he is itching to drive. We'll see how that goes. It shouldn't be too big an issue since the car is automatic. 

It rained for most of yesterday's drive, so that was exciting, but I drove along many of the roads where I used to ride my bike. I need to get out again next summer!! If I don't, I must ask myself if I need four bikes. 

Someone mentioned in the comments that decluttering was more about purging! Decluttering is NOT about organizing things and putting them nicely in your house. Decluttering is about GETTING RID OF STUFF and not buying more! It's about finding a home for your things; if there's no home, it goes! It's a huge process and should be a learned life skill from the moment we become aware of our surroundings. Yes -- even children! They must learn that too much stuff is too much and that living with less is OK. 

Speaking of too much, I had this thought yesterday while walking. You know the stores are constantly baraging us with gift guides, especially at this time of year. 

Well, here's some thoughts on that. 

One store in particular comes to mind with its three-wick candles and liquid soaps, among other scented items. I love the foaming hand soap, but there has been an incredible push on those three-wick candles. How long does it take to use up one of those candles? EONS!!!! How many of those candles does one person need?

Let's say you want to buy someone a small gift for someone. How many gifts are either returned, regifted, or donated to a thrift shop? That "thoughtful" little gift burdens the receiver, and you stress over what to purchase. 

Why not give the gift of time and presence? Why not provide a coupon to the user for lunch, and you pay for the lunch? Or buy them tickets to a show or another experience they will enjoy. Or buy them a consumable that they will use! NOT chocolates, NOT perfume (unless they use it). Don't just buy for the sake of buying a gift. A handwritten note is way more thoughtful, and there's no burden on the giver or the receiver. Why does it have to be something physical? It does NOT!!! Physical things without homes are CLUTTER. 

We last exchanged gifts at our house a few years ago. We do not exchange gifts with many people—I think the only one now is M, and even then, she's old enough not to get a gift. Thoughtful gestures throughout the year are way more important than stressing just because it's Christmas. I'm sure the amount spent on useless but "necessary" gifts would astound us. 

And what about the pressure and stress around gift-giving? Good grief -- just say NO to it all. 

I also don't get the money-giving thing. Why give money? Kids don't appreciate it—they just want money and see Christmas as a way to get money. They should work for that money, not expect it as a gift. That's like tipping your kids! Did they do any work to earn the tip? Nope! 

And then there's the stress about traditions, especially at this time of year. Well, it'll all start in a month or so. 

My Mom used to bake cookies, make Christmas cake, and do all sorts of stuff at Christmas time, and we loved it. But times have changed, and so have traditions. I can NOT understand why people go to as much trouble as they do when Christmas comes. I understand making a great meal and having one or two special treats. I totally get that. But to spend weeks preparing? I don't get that. I know people will stop sewing for the entire month of December to prepare for Christmas. What the heck are they doing? 

And then, if people can no longer do those crazy preparations, they feel bad? They may no longer have the budget or the space to host a dinner for 30 people. We must stop living our lives for the happiness of others and live with what makes us happy. I bet most of those crazy dinners will be remembered because of the PEOPLE attending, not because you had an eight-course dinner. 

Most family members would be happy with sandwiches as long as they got together. Ask your family—do something totally different. Tell them you are cutting back. 

I think the most important gift we can give is our presence. It's also the most expensive gift we can provide, and if that isn't appreciated, then I don't give gifts! Oh, another great gift would be to make a donation to a food bank or Toy Mountain on behalf of someone! OR even better, go to the food bank and volunteer your time with a friend in lieu of giving them a gift. But if you will spend time with someone, DO NOT take your cell phone. If you do, put it away -- you are spending time with your in-person friend, not your social media friends! 

Oh my—I sound like a scrouge this morning. But I'm just being realistic. I do NOT do things because the marketing people tell me I need a new colorway for my house this year. I do what makes me happy because I have to live with myself every day. Stop the guilt that triggers many of our shopping sprees and gift giving. Don't feel obligated to buy gifts. Write a nice thank you and be done with it. 

Someone mentioned to me the other day (OK—it was DH) that with all my opinions and "negativity," I could be perceived as a glass-half-empty person. I'm the optimist because I do NOT get dragged down into these stressful situations. I have no after-Christmas bills to pay, no worrying about what to buy for someone, and no midnight sessions in the kitchen. I get to do what I want! 

Well, on that happy note! I'm off to spin class. 

OH MY GOSH -- I'm sorry if that post is rambling, but a police siren has been sounding in the distance for a LONG TIME, and I can't focus! Usually, they come and go in seconds, but this has been going on for almost ten minutes, and it's still wailing! 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

A stitch in time saves nine!

Well, it appears that another friend has those open earbuds. I need to encourage my friends to tell me about NEW things when they get them! I'm behind the times. I wore them for the four hours of Monday sewing, and I thought I might be bothered a bit by the band at the back, but all was good. They were very comfortable - they could hear me well, I could listen to them, and I could move around the house without losing the connection. YEP -- I'm glad I bought them. 

DH will be testing mine out today. He needs something new because he's also having issues with his earbuds. 

Yesterday was all about clearing off that table behind my sewing machine. So, in my silly style, I piled everything on it: stuff draped on the digital cutters, languishing on the floor, and a few things from the cutting table. Studio B looked messy, and I wasn't coping well with it. 

The mess is in one spot

Oh, there's our presentation on my new monitor. I still have to figure this out, and I might need technical assistance to use the monitor for the presentation, as what the group saw was my laptop in presentation mode, NOT the screen. So, I must figure out how that works. I need to share screen 2, not screen 1. 

The screen works well!

One of our wooden vent covers had been damaged, so I put it back together using wood glue. 

Fixing the wood vent

Then I had two socks and a pair of gloves that needed mending. The gloves were inexpensive and could have been tossed, but why? A few stitches, and they were as good as new. 

Repairing my gloves

The socks were too good to throw out, so they all got mended, and it wasn't such a big job. We are so quick to throw things out with holes, but fixing them only takes a few minutes. So the next time you're tempted to watch a reel, think about mending something while you do it. At least something useful would happen with your time. So many of the reels have no beginning, end, or story, and I would hazard a guess that MANY of those reels are now generated by AI, so what you're watching is NOT real!!! I am back to refusing to watch them. I just tell myself -- keep that 30 seconds for something more meaningful. 

My mending is done

I had two different bits of batting that needed to be sorted and put in the appropriate spot. I accomplished that. 

Sorting the batting

The loose ends of these yarn strands needed to be pulled to the back of the work. DONE! 

The yarn bits got pulled to the back

This container had a label stuck on it. I got out the Goo-Gone, and the label is now history. Does anyone want this container? It would be an excellent box to sort your sewing machine needle types. Otherwise, it's going in the giveaway box. 

The label is removed from the box

The stuff that needed to go upstairs was then put on the stairs. Don't worry—it's all gone and in its appropriate home. 

Stuff to carry upstairs

And the table looked pretty decent. Then I decided that since I had done such a good job, I piled all that stuff on it. That now leaves me TWO tables piled with crap and the rolling cart. I aim to try to clear the two tables by the year's end. I need to focus like I did yesterday. 

The table BEFORE I piled all the crap on it

I have two little repair jobs that require glue. My glue is dried up, or I would have done that yesterday. So the glue is history, and I went to get more glue. 

In the past, I've only seen glue in one tube. 

One tube of glue

But now you can get several tiny tubes. That's the one I bought. I'll fix my two things, and then the one tube will be empty, and I'll have glue for the next job. 

Tiny tubes of glue

We were talking about irons the other day, and YES, I know you can get rid of all water issues by using a dry iron. I tried it for over one month and hated it every time I ironed. I even had a spritzer bottle and used that. Nope—I need steam. 

So, I checked out the irons while I was at the mall. I spotted a cheap iron at $35. 

The cheap iron at $35

But the majority of them are now in the $75 range (that's in CDN) dollars. 

Lots of varieties of irons

I have two brand-new irons, so I don't need to buy one. The one I'm working with right now is fine, but it does need to be cleaned inside, and hopefully, I'll remember that this afternoon. 

I think I mentioned that one of my embroidery machines died last week, and I took it to a technician. Well, I now need to move that machine to a different technician. I thought about that before taking it to the first spot. While they diagnosed the problem, they will not fix this machine. It's a long story, and I won't get into details. OK -- it's not a big deal, but it's all about the ownership of the machine. And it needs to go to a specific technician because of that. I should have anticipated that when I dropped it off, but I did not. So that errand will take several hours this morning. Sigh... But I can blame no one but myself. 

I also emptied the last tub of stuff that had been donated to me. Now, that tub is filled with quilt tops, and the last cardboard box is gone. It looks so much neater, and it's nice to know that this space is no longer being filled with tops. I hope to be emptying it of tops, but I have already pulled enough for this year, so we won't see much difference until next year. 

The last cardboard box is gone

Here's something very important when you are considering decluttering. I give myself 15 years before I think we may need (want) to move from our house. I told that to someone the other day, and they said to use a false deadline—12 years! Anyway, it's easy to let things slide. But as I mentioned at one point, there were 300 community project quilt tops to be quilted. I'm unsure of the number now, but hopefully, it's less than 300. 

So if I quilted one a week, which is doable but aggressive, it would take almost SIX years to complete them all. So I need to attack that pile NOW, which is what I'm doing. 

Until you put all the like things together, count them, and then figure out how to process the quantity, you have NO CLUE. Someone can use those quilts as soon as I finish them rather than donating tubs of quilt tops for someone else to quilt.  

If you do not declutter, there's a good chance you are not even aware of what you own and how much. Many people are unaware of their surroundings or how they affect them! Once you are aware (and I mean really aware), you can make a decision. If you can't see the problem, you don't even know it exists!! I hope that makes sense. But we become complacent about stuff and no longer see it unless we look and become aware. 

And until you start to process your possessions, you have zero concept of the time and labor involved! NONE!!! You think it's easy for your kids to deal with. It is NOT. Never mind the increased mental and physical health benefits of decluttering. It's HUGE!!! 

My laptop was ready for pickup, so I was going to sneak out of the house. Murphy was right by the door, and I thought I could take her for a bit of spin in the car, but the split-second Lexi heard the leash, she was at the door! They got a cookie and stayed home! 

Girls -- not taking you both in the car

I don't know what Murphy's problem was last night. I was in bed reading and had the door partially shut so the light wouldn't disturb anyone. She was a bit panicky about something and tried to jump onto the dresser. What was that all about? 

Well, I have that logistical errand to accomplish this morning, more paperwork (the last two class follow-ups), DH has to go to physio, and then whatever time is left is mine to whittle away at that mess. That one table needs to be clear!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

OUT with earbuds!! In with OPEN earbuds

As you know, I was very frustrated yesterday by the earbud situation. My voice kept cutting out on calls, the earbud mic dropped, and I could not move around and chat. 

I mentioned that frustration on my first call yesterday morning. I think there were ten people on that call, and can you believe that THREE of the people on that call have something different than earbuds? They are using what's called open-ear technology from a company called Shokz. Three people—that was amazing! 

Here's a picture of what they look like. 

Open earbuds

They really emphasize the fact that they are based on bone conduction. But aren't earbuds based on the same technology since earbuds have mics in them, but they're not visible? Anyway, that's not the point. 

Apparently, open earbuds have been around for a while, and there are MANY brands if you check them out online. I see that in the top five picks from one source, they don't even mention this brand—SHOKZ. 

I figured if THREE people were extremely happy with them, I needed to check them out. So, the minute I was finished with my calls, I opened the Virtual Retreat and headed out to Best Buy. 

And look what followed me home. 

My new open earbuds

I wanted a pair of orange ones, but they were available only in the swimming version, and I didn't need that. I got them paired up to my computer, and I was good to go. I put them on, and OH MY --- what a change from having earbuds in. Earbuds fit into your ears and can be uncomfortable, but the worst for me was that they almost made me unable to hear myself talk. I felt closed in, but I could still hear all kinds of stuff happening in the house. Mine are noise-canceling earbuds, yet you can still hear lots of stuff. But I didn't like talking with them. I will still call the company to see if they can be replaced or fixed. HA!!

Well, these are like comfy slippers. If you buy them, buy the MINI; otherwise, that cord is long. You can even buy them separately so you have two pieces, not one. But they didn't have much variety in that style. Since they do not fit tightly to your head, at least this brand, I'm guessing the wire provides some stability. I see from other brands that they fit much tighter around your ear. 

What a game-changer these are. I LOVE THEM. And, of course, I bought other things while I was in the store. DH needed a new keyboard and mouse, so I got that. I bought a new laptop, but it's being set up, so I will get it on Tuesday. I decided to buy a new monitor, which I've wanted for a long time. I brought it in and set it up later in the day, which was easy! I plugged it in and turned it on, and the second screen popped up. Now, if only that would happen when I do presentations. I have to fight with the connection sometimes. And can you believe this monitor is 1/4" thick!!! Except for a narrow strip along the back where the components are. It's insane!!! 

OK—that is amazing. Now I can have two screens of a decent size to work on. I might do more computer work downstairs than upstairs, as I do not have room on this small desk for a second monitor. 

My second monitor

When I worked for the fabric company years ago, I had dual monitors, and it took just a little bit of finagling to get used to the mouse on two screens. I'm good with it!

When I got back, I was a little more productive, but then I needed a long walk to get in my KMs for the day, so I was in and out of that Virtual Retreat. But they managed just fine without me, and we got to see some people we hadn't seen in a while. It's always good to catch up on what's happening with people, and you learn so much from others—like earbuds are out! 

It's hard to believe, but I have NO EVENTS or appointments for an entire week! How the heck did that happen after the chaos of this past weekend? Now, I need to be very smart about those seven days because there is a lot of work to be done, and there is no time to waste. 

I have a lot of writing to do, quilts to quilt, Studio B to be tidied up, some samples to finish, and the next round of homework to prep. And I get to work around my schedule—it's going to be heavenly! 

Once we closed the call last night, it was time to head to bed. I was heading for the stairs when I showed DH the new headset (hmm—what do I call that?). OH -- open earbuds. When I finally got to the stairs, look who was waiting. She knew I was headed to the stairs, and she had to be in front! 

MOM -- hurry up - it's bedtime!

But when I stopped and headed in a new direction, she sat down and waited for me. That girl is silly! 

DH went to the surgeon for a follow-up last week and can take the sling/destabilizer off on Wednesday. I imagine he'll set his alarm for midnight, and at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, that thing will be gone! But all seems to be healing nicely. He is a good patient and has become pretty self-sufficient; other than when he takes the thing off, he can't put it back on himself, so I'll be glad when he doesn't need to wear it. No lifting is about the only restraint he'll have after Wednesday. He's been off the pain meds for many days and didn't even finish them. 

All in all, I can't complain!

I'm so looking forward to this quiet week or a week without deadlines of any kind. The weather is going to be nice, so I might be outside. The outdoor furniture is still outside, but I should pack that up by the weekend. 

And FYI - the next retreat is scheduled for November 23 and 24th. So put that in your calendars. It's so much fun! If you're home sewing alone, it's an excellent way to chat and sew, and I learn so much from everyone! No packing up the sewing machine or the projects. If you can only come for 10 minutes, that's OK!!! Or stay all day. That's the beauty of virtual - you would never drop into an in-person retreat just to say HI. 

Well, I'm off to spin class. Later today, I have to send the rest of the homework to the groups. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

How to care for your iron!

Dilemma!!! I struggle with the microphone on my laptop. The microphone could be better because you must be directly in front of the laptop before it picks up my voice. Yet I see people on Zoom calls, and they are at the other end of their room, and we can still hear them. Not so with me, except if I happen to be on the phone at the other end of the room, and then it picks up my voice clear as a bell!

I've been using Jabra earbuds, and the first pair (hand-me-downs from DH) worked very well until the battery life just died. I bought a new pair, and they worked well, but now the microphone seems to be spotty, and all of a sudden, I'm gone, yet I can hear everyone. YES—I need to contact the company. 

I've been thinking about replacing my laptop (another hand-me-down from DH), and I've had it for 7 or 8 years. I looked online this morning to see if I could find a suitable replacement. 

Gosh, what is the difference between a $400 laptop and a $1,400 laptop? Probably storage (although storage is CHEAP these days). Or is it the amount of RAM? I think I'll visit BestBuy to see what I can see. 

However, you know where I'm going with this. Getting a new laptop means migrating to Windows 11. Do I want to do that? It has a new interface and some other benefits, but do I really need it? And will it be a pain having Windows 10 on my desktop computer? I may pop into the store tomorrow. We have a Virtual Retreat today; otherwise, I'd go this afternoon. 

Does anyone out there have Windows 11? Are there any issues you hate? I think I'm just going to face reality, get the upgrade, and deal with it. This is a good time since I have no in-person events planned, and the coming weekend is quiet with ZERO events. 

It would be a good idea to clean up the few things I've saved on the hard disk to get it ready to replace. I'll have to come up with a plan to clear up the rest of my digital stuff. That's scary!!!

And I must contact Jabra about those earbuds. I really like them, but this issue is annoying. I can only speak if I'm married to the laptop, which makes it hard to work. Last night, I barely did anything so I could chat. And that's not a productive use of my time. It's FRUSTRATING!!!!

All the Zooms went over very well yesterday. I had some great feedback, and the groups got their homework and were off getting fabrics ready to sew! I have a couple of follow-ups to send out this morning and a few extra things I promised to work on this week. Then, I must start working on the next round to avoid ending up in a time crunch like this month! 

One of the classes was on binding! I laughed as I looked at the corner of the first quilt I made when I started quilting. Oh my! That corner has a few issues! I have learned a lot over the years! 

Hmm --- 1 out of 10 on technique!!!! 

Of course, they learned how to avoid these pitfalls in the class! The binding class is hosted by The Hobby Horse and will run again, likely starting in January. I'll keep you in the loop. 

Some people might sign up for one class with me and do not realize that I often teach several classes on the same day. During the presentation, I like to review the homework or color choices that students have made. This little scenario has happened on more than one occasion, EVEN with me telling them there is a cut-off (the day before) for sending me pictures.  

Them: Did you get my picture?

ME - When did you send it? 

Them: This morning. 

Oh, the class started at 9:30 AM, and the photo arrived in my intray at 9:45. Unfortunately, pictures do not automatically download and load into the presentation. WAIT—would AI do this for me? Maybe I could program Windows 11 and AI to download pictures while teaching. Now that would be cool and very scary!!!!

I get it that people don't know, but like everyone, I have a life, have morning errands to run, and am NOT waiting by the computer for pictures to arrive. 

The other thing, and this happens more than I would like. I'm on the Zoom. I'm teaching. And I get texts, emails, or phone calls from people saying they DO NOT have the link. I open my calls 30 - minutes in advance to allow people to connect, find the Zoom link, etc. Sigh......   At least I can say that the percentage of that happening is LOW. But people- I'm paying attention to Zoom, NOT checking my email or phone. 

After finishing Zoom at 3:30, I went for a walk to get the stiffness out of my legs and to clear my head! Look at the leaves in the forest. They're so beautiful, and you just want to shuffle your feet along and hear the rustling of the leaves. 

Doesn't this make you want to shuffle through the leaves? 

Here's something of great importance to us, especially if you are in the market for a new iron. Yesterday, we had the question: Should I go expensive or buy the cheap one? 

I'm not sure there is a significant difference between the expensive and the cheap (GASP!), but here's the thing. We NEED to take care of our irons and USE THEM PROPERLY if we want them to last. 

So, what are the tips to prolong the life of an iron? Did you know there is a manual for your iron? Have you ever read it? Most of us just plug them in and turn them on, but that is WRONG!!!! 

1. NEVER fill your iron with water (if you use water) with the STEAM function in the ON position. You don't have to unplug the iron, but the steam should be OFF. 

2. Check the suggestions for water. Some irons have filters in them, but most do not. Do you need distilled water? Or will tap water work. What is the condition of the water in your area? Some people have well water, which has loads of minerals in it. So be sure to use water that won't crap out your iron. 

3. We are ALL guilty of this one. WAIT for the iron to heat up before you use it. If you don't, guess what happens? The cold water leaks out and craps up your ironing board. And that makes ugly stains on the ironing board. BE PATIENT!!!! ALWAYS WAIT!

Water leaking from a cold iron

4. Manufacturers recommend emptying the water from the iron when finished. Yikes—I'm guilty of not doing that one as well. But leaving water in it can lead to mold. Yikes—I never thought of that. I thought it was to reduce the pressure on the water reservoir. 

OK—I need to do some more research in this department. Does anyone have other tips for using and preserving iron? 

On that note, I better get myself moving! I have two presentations today, but they are done and easy to assemble. These two sessions are about sharing ideas with the groups, and that's easy. 

We have a Virtual Retreat today - which starts at NOON. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Lost pets

 AH --- Artificial Intelligence for writing! Yes -- it's been suggested, from multiple sources, that I use it to help generate my presentations. Well, I'd have to be a whole lot more organized! 

Here's what happens when I'm working. I start with a blank page—well, not always. Sometimes, I recycle slides from other presentations. I do that a lot, and since I'm not always sure where the particular pictures I want are, how the heck would I tell a computer where to find them? 

Then, I may take six pictures and load them. In what order should they be loaded? OK, I guess that's an easy one—in the order they were taken. But what if I go back and take six more pictures (it happens all the time)? Then where does the system insert them? 

If it were cut and dried, I would have a folder of pictures and then ask the computer to load them. I could do that, but that is NOT how my brain works. 

However, given the learning I'm always yapping about, I should try it when I'm not against the clock! 

It may help me, and I'd just have to work more organized. But here's the other thing—I sometimes work from two different computers to create the same presentation. I don't know why I do that—one is downstairs, and one is upstairs. Some of the files (the presentation) sit on a shared drive, but the pictures sit on an external hard drive attached to the computer in my office. So I'd have to change a lot how I work. 

I do not want to fill that shared drive with all my pictures, so that's a problem I would need to solve. I could put everything on the shared drive and, when complete, move the designated folder to the external hard drive. Oh, there are lots of things to think about. 

It's a complicated process when the slide presentations can have up to 100 slides! Most of the slides are just pictures, but I'll try!

I know DH is starting to use it. Since he could NOT take notes during meetings, he's been getting AI to do it for him. He said it's far from perfect, and it can't handle loads of people in one meeting, but it's better than nothing. 

Having said all that, all the presentations are done—well, I'm still tweaking one of them, and I won't get done all I wanted, but it's enough to get them sewing!!! I have one other instance when all four of these classes fall on the same weekend, so I'd better be prepared for that. Since today is the first of all four, extra work is involved in getting the class set up. It's all my fault for not getting organized a wee bit sooner!

There are four different classes. One is full, but the other three? People were still signing up last night! That was an issue as I needed to keep the distribution lists up to date! If anyone else signs up now, well, that's too bad! 

The good news is that even though I hate admin work, I'm actually having fun with all this—and I'm getting good at it! This is a good thing since so much more needs to be done! What I dislike is when required paperwork isn't because of me! 

Oh, Miss Murphy! She's so cute and LOVES to play in the mud and be dirty! Lexi is such a princess by comparison. 

MOM -- just hanging out in the backyard 

When Claire was here, Murphy was a little devil. She had to be the center of everything. I had to take DH to physio, and when I got back, both machines were busy working away, and no one was around, but Miss Murphy, the supervisor, was there. Claire had gone to pack! 

MOM -- those machines are noisy! Let me out of here! 

OH MY -- look what comes back to you! This was a label I found in those boxes of stuff that someone donated to me. Is this the same Cabin in the Woods quilt I've been working on? Completed in 2008 sounds about right. I quilted it for her, but I wonder why the label never made it onto the quilt. 

A lost label

It's confusing because the book is called Welcome to My Cabin, but the quilt we made (the one I finished recently) is called Cabin in the Woods. OK—it's not confusing, but it can be confusing when you don't pay too much attention!

My two Cabin in the Woods quilts

It's never too late to get anything done! 

I'm determined to get my 13 KM in every day. The end of the year is fast approaching (66 days), and I still have a lot of mileage to cover. I cannot sluff off! So, while waiting for DH at physio, I walked. With all the up and down the stairs to take photos and load them, I got a few more steps, but I needed more. So, the girls and I (individually) went for a walk last night. The second time this week. They think they have died and gone to heaven! TWO walks in one day! 

It was a glorious evening. I was wearing a down vest, and it was very pleasant to walk. 

Oh, and if you lose a pet and wonder if you should put up a sign, do it! I spotted this sign the other day in the forest. 

Missing pet

Yesterday, Muprhy and I were walking past a house with big pine trees in front. We could hear a cat who didn't sound too happy. I was trying to get a closer look without alerting Muprhy to the fact that there was a cat there. She hates cats. 

At that point, a neighbor happened along. She knew whose cat was missing, so I left her in charge of contacting the owners. Murphy and I continued on our way! 

Cats, e-scooters, and two dogs in our neighborhood. She can't handle any of those three! Yesterday, she was barking her head off when I was downstairs, and DH was on the phone. Yep- the dog she hates was walking on the other side of the street! I've no idea what she has against that dog, but many other dogs pass our house and even stop to sniff. She's OK with them, but not this one dog! 

Remember, we have a Virtual Retreat tonight and tomorrow. Gosh, it's Saturday—how did that happen so fast? 

Saturday, October 26 - Starts at 6:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816483795?pwd=Mjc3M3pvVmZPdjdsQzlHS3Zhck52dz09

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Sunday, October 27 - Starts at NOON

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

Happy decluttering—cleaning out drawers (they are endless) and tidying up the UFOs (again—endless for most!).

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Lazy Lexi

Good progress was made yesterday with the presentations and the sewing! Yeah! It will be a busy day again today, but I think I might just make it! It was an interesting day as I snapped pictures and put them in the presentation. Then, I received pictures from people that needed to be added to the presentations. I hope I got them all in the correct place! If not - well, we can laugh about it. 

OK—you have to check out this video! When I was at Golden Peak Media Studios to film a couple of Fons and Porter's Love of Quitting episodes, I was chatting with one of the editors. I mentioned how much I LOVED (and that was true) the latest issue of the magazine. She said, "Can you say that on film in under one minute?" And here's the result! 

I love going there and had another super time! I can't wait to go back. Hopefully, they want me back! Since this was my second time -- there might be another time! 

And I swear we need to get excited about life! Everything in life is exciting! If it's not, then we better find a new life. 

As I was busy sewing, Studio B got crazy with scrap boxes everywhere. I'll put this all away later today, but look at how nicely those scrap boxes fit on the top shelf of my computer desk. It was perfect!!

An excellent place for my scrap boxes!

But I got a chuckle when I pulled out the various colors I needed and found this. Who is that imposter in the middle with MANY colors in it? 

Which of these doesn't belong?

Good grief—it's even labeled blue. Whenever I was sorting, I took whatever color I spotted through the front and threw it in. I need to tidy up that box. 

What? Labeled blue but filled with orange?

I have made some of the scrap boxes neat and tidy, but these ones are a mess. It's not on my agenda at this moment; I'm still trying to get through the brown scrap boxes. But the day will come! 

Then, I got the sewing machine set up to sew and attempted to thread the needle. 

OH - where's the needle?

It actually helps IF you have a needle in the machine! Oh, silly me!!!!

That's better!

I walked to the mall to mail a couple of packages, and two more are waiting to go. It's so nice to get things out of the house! While at the mall, I passed these outfits in a window. This is a trend that I can't figure out. 

On the left is a knit sweater that is long at the waist but paired with knit shorts. On the right, we have a cropped knit sweater with long pants, which are also knit. Personally, if I were going to wear this, which I would not, I'd have the long sweater with the long pants and the cropped sweater with the shorts. But then, I'm NOT a fashionista, so what do I know?!

Does this appeal to you?

Oh my—look at Lexi. Give that dog an inch (one-third of the couch), and she assumes the entire thing is hers. 

MOM -- I'm trying to sleep!

I made her scoot over, and you would think I asked her to run a marathon. She reluctantly moved and was not happy! Poor thing! 

MOM -- why do I have to move? This is MY couch! 

So here's my latest learning tool. Everyone is talking about ProCreate (a graphic program for the iPad). I purchased it a while ago and only briefly tinkered with it. But I took this flower and traced it. Now, there is no manual that I can find. OK—I did not look very hard—I'm sure there's a manual online. But I was able to figure it out. A graphic program is a graphic program! 

A picture of a daisy on my iPad

Here is the flower I very quickly drew. This is just the tip of the iceberg as I learn the tools, fix lines, etc. We all have to start somewhere. I start small!

My daisy

Not only am I learning that, but I'm also learning more features of the mySewnet embroidery software. I'm becoming EXTREMELY familiar with the HUNDREDS of pages in the various User's Guides for mySewnet. There's SO MUCH!!! You can do so much, but there's not enough time in a day to do it all!! There's room for improvement in setting priorities in my world. 

As I was sewing (which was awesome), I worked on the black-and-white quilt as an ender and leader project. These are the precut bits. 

Shapes cut for the black and white quilt

Which I'm currently sewing into pairs. 

Sewing into pairs

Those pairs will eventually go on these centers, which are now complete but still need to be trimmed. This will be a great job to do at the Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

The centers of the blocks

And we are back at the EXIT Games!! Although we got off to a bit of a rocky start, we have now solved two clues in this puzzle. Before we know it, it'll be December 1, and we get to crack open the Advent Calendar! I can hardly wait!

The EXIT Game

I see the dots on the table, so I'd better get myself in gear and update the travel map. It's been years, and I know a few places did NOT get tagged for all of us!!! And where will my travels take me (or us) in 2025? Discussions are already happening—too many places, not enough time or money!

The dots to update the travel map

Speaking of travel, I dreamed of making 35K status with Air Canada last night. I'm short by 76 points. YES --- that is NOT a typo. All I need to do is take Uber to the airport and back, and I'll make it. But I hope to take one more flight this year. Yes - there is the possibility of three more trips this year; one just got canceled, which I'm OK with. But of the three potential, TWO should happen for sure. I just need to get past this weekend when I'll have more time to plan. 

I'm sure many of you can relate to this! Oh my gosh -- the HOURS I would spend in the library, searching the card catalogs and then going to retrieve the material. I LOVED it. I wasn't even introduced to an actual library until I was an adult. 

Who remembers?

I lived in the country, and the teacher was responsible for bringing books to the one-room country school once a month. I would easily breeze through whatever she brought. I don't think it was until I was in university that I got a whiff of what a card catalog was all about. But I used it extensively!!!

I wonder how many of those cabinets are still around? I have a small one in Studio B filled with craft supplies. 

Well, it's time to get the day started! There is so much to do and so little time. Actually, that's a lie. While there is lots to do, I don't feel pressure. Everything is ready enough that I could run the classes as the presentations are, but I like to freshen them up, add new things, and make a new sample or two, so that's what I'm doing today. The tough parts of the presentations are mostly done! 

Now, back to those UFOs or the drawers. Are you making progress on them? You should—it should become a way of life! Just like flossing your teeth. OK—for me, flossing is not a way of life, but I'm trying hard to make it so. Since my last dentist appointment, I've been flossing once daily and brushing my gumline, not my teeth. I'm throwing in the towel if they don't say there's an improvement next time! 

It's all about setting priorities and then following through. We can't do everything, so pick your battles.

This weekend is Quilt Market, and then Quilt Festival follows. I went to both for several years, and when I stopped working at the fabric company, I felt a HUGE void in my life. I NEEDED to be there. Now? I have ZERO desire to set up a booth, walk the floor, or see the quilts. OK -- maybe I want to see the quilts. But the rest? Not in my lifetime would I go back!!! It's exhausting, especially if you are working. I'll take a smaller show any day! 

Here are the links for the Virtual Retreat. 

Saturday, October 26 - Starts at 6 PM EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816483795?pwd=Mjc3M3pvVmZPdjdsQzlHS3Zhck52dz09

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Sunday, October 27 - Starts at NOON EST or shortly after

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

Have a super day!!!!