Murphy's thought processes

About that new author I mentioned yesterday - Iona Wishaw. Her latest book is coming out on April 29th, although Daphne noted that it's already out. If you live in BC, she's doing book tours and signings, and you should go! It's great to support our authors. I hope she can get a more extensive reach! I finished the book yesterday and I loved it. Lots of thinking and fact contemplating, which I love! 

Let's support our Canadian authors. And for our US neighbors, I do read lots of US authors, but I'm always excited to find a great Canadian one. We've had a tendency in the past to overlook some great talent, at least I have! I'd never heard of Iona before, and I'm glad I found her. Thanks to The National Post for recently highlighting Canadian authors in the mystery genre. 

Speaking of contemplating and fact contemplating, what about those EXIT Games? Oh boy -- we had one puzzle that eluded us the other night. We didn't look at it the night before, as that was date night, but we worked on it last night. We followed the instructions to cut out part of the page, which I had photocopied, but DH wasn't satisfied with the photocopy. We needed to CUT the page, so I did. That gave us nothing. 

We zeroed in on what we thought was essential and what was not. Still nothing. Hm - now what? As I sat staring at the photocopy, it hit me. BAM! I figured it out! It was easy to get the answer once I saw something. But until then, we were at a loss. The puzzles come in a wide variety, and how the three-digit code is deciphered is - well, it's different each time, and yet the method is not always unique. 

It's all about letting your mind go and think outside of the box. 

Part of the puzzle 

I got a thumbs up from DH on this one. 

I accomplished a lot in Studio B yesterday. I had a lot of cutting to do to get ready for classes next weekend. I'm behind on a couple of projects. But I had an excellent day cutting and made tremendous progress. I even started sewing! I won't share them with you as they are all secret projects. OK - they're not secret projects, but I want to show the groups first, then you can see. 

I'm working on a challenge quilt, and it's going to be a nightmare to add all the embellishments. They need to be done ASAP. I'm going to have to resort to glue, not hand stitching! Not something I'm a fan of, but I know it can work as I've used glue in the past. The big question will be - which glue? Hot glue or a fabric glue? 

I loaded another quilt on the long arm and got it quilted. Of course, my faithful companion had to be there to supervise. And she knows EXACTLY where to lay when I need to be in the same area. It's like she has a sixth sense. "I will lie right here, so Mom can't miss me."

MOM - I'm your therapy dog! 

As I worked, I emptied a spool of thread, but of course, I had another spool, which I didn't need, so all was good. 

One more spool gone! 

And here's the quilt. It's one of the ones that Diane pieced for me. There's been a basket of flannel quilts sitting by the long arm for months. Along with batting, so it's not pretty! It's neat, but I'd like it out of the way. So, this one is done - well, it needs trimming and binding, but I'm not worried about that for now. I just want the quilting done! 

Community project quilt - DONE

The next quilt is on the longarm, and I need to work on it today. 

I zipped out right after lunch and picked up a small end table that I had spotted the other day. Even though it's not that heavy, I wasn't planning on carrying it home. It's only a fifteen-minute walk from the store, but I wasn't going to do it. Ooops - I forgot to take a picture of the table. I'll share with you tomorrow, as it's a cute little table and quite functional. 

While in line to pay, I spotted this. What do you think? Would the girls like that for hot days? 

A sprinkler mat for dogs

It was a glorious day, and I went for a morning walk with just a sweatshirt. But I soon had to abandon that as it was very hot. When I got home, I dug out the furniture for the front patio, put on shorts, and sat out there to have my tea. It was glorious! I'm sure the neighbors think I've gone mad, but I'm past the point of caring! It's my yard and I can sit out front if I want! 

In the afternoon, I was in the gazebo. Of course, Murphy has to start her antics. She grabbed a toy that had sat on a tree stump for MONTHS. 

And she proceeds to drop it in the pond. And then fondly looks at it and then at me, to get it for her. That little devil!!! 

OH - it's so sad. My toy is in the pond!

After some desperate pleading (barking) on her part, and I didn't budge, she attempted to get it herself, which she did. Such a drama queen! Of course, the next time, she threw it further in, so I had to get up and get it for her. 

I have to do all the work myself! 

What I love is that Murphy's actions are intentional. It's not just an accident, she is thinking and understanding sequences! Dogs are way more intelligent than we give them credit for. Of course, they are not always thinking! 

A reminder to everyone: the upcoming election is on April 28th. If you can't get to your voting station that day, advance voting is happening now. There are two more days of advance voting. Check your voter card for locations and make sure to vote! 

What is encouraging is that a record number of people voted on the first day! I don't think they have posted any numbers for day two, but this is an important election, and we must do our civic duty. If we don't, then we are forfeiting our right to complain afterward. Yes - we might not be happy with the elected party, but at least we are part of our democratic system. 

Yes - you might have to wait to vote (that's unheard of in our country), but waiting in a line to vote is better than waiting in a line to get rations! OK - I'm exaggerating a lot by that statement, but you get what I mean. There have been waits of up to two hours at some stations, and I'm excited to hear that! 

I was going to go on election day, but I might go today since I have a guild lecture on April 28th (East Lake Simcoe Quilt Guild in Cannington), and with the driving time, it might be a challenge. I'll see how it goes. Wait, voting is open until 9:30 PM on election day, I shouldn't have to go to the advance voting. 

And check out the latest issue of A Needle Pulling Thread (Number 69). It's just come out. I have a quilt in it. Can you spot which one is mine in this quick preview? Skim over the Table of Contents page first and then come back to see if you were right. Here's a hint - my quilt is NOT on the cover. 

Well, I'm off to another exciting day. I have it all laid out in my head, and we'll see what I get done. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!