New versus Classic!

Regarding the headphone issue, I am using a pair of Shokz—they are also referred to as open-ear buds. I LOVE them, but while I can hear things around me, they do NOT block out the noise of the sewing machine or the long arm. So as I'm cutting and ironing, they are amazing, but the minute I start to sew, the machine's noise overrules the audiobook! And the long arm is even worse!

I'll try the old headphones one more time, and then if I can't jiggle that connection, I'll ditch them and get the new pair out! But thanks for the suggestion - I love the Shokz, even though the microphone will NOT work for me, so I need to use a hardwired mic when I use them for Zoom. 

There is some interference in my house - yes, my house! That interference prevents me from using a Bluetooth mic. I've tried several pairs of earbuds and over-the-ear headphones, and all work for a few minutes, then my voice gets garbled. I've given up trying to understand the issue. That's been the same on Zoom or Teams - they just don't work. 

BUT the good news is that I had a 45-minute conversation on my cell phone the other day - in my kitchen, and my voice didn't disappear once! That is HUGE news at my house. Hence, I rarely call or talk to anyone and certainly not on my cell phone!

Well, I don't know what happened with those emails and the pictures yesterday - they eventually came in, but it took forever. I suspect the computer was dealing with my massive delete situation and just wasn't going to handle two jobs at once. Must be a man! Sorry!

Here's the scoop with Outlook -- as I mentioned yesterday, I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love the interface, and I'm determined to make this thing work! I'm also determined to clean it up so it will likely work even better for me! In the past, there was a single version of Outlook, and at some point, it became part of Office 365, which I have a subscription to. I use Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word almost daily. I don't use Excel much, but I bet my friends are all shouting at me to use it more! And maybe I will - I just need to find a use for it! 

I guess I'll have to start tracking something. Who knows!!!

Anyway, there used to be a database, but I believe Microsoft recently eliminated it, since I doubt many people used it. 

Now with Outlook, there is Outlook Classic and Outlook New. Of course, there is!! Outlook New has fewer features than the Classic version, and that's probably because too many people were stuck on how to make the Classic version work. I don't know. 

When I unboxed the new computer, I decided to go with the new version. I may switch back if I can. 

This is the email structure on my old computer with the Classic version. Notice there is no ARCHIVE folder, but there is one called Important, which would store a copy of all emails, almost like a backup. But it would never delete them from that folder. While it says 3155, it was very full! I'll check it later today to see what it says, since both computers are up and running right now. There were also lots of unnecessary folders at the bottom, and I could never get rid of them. The delete function was grayed out when I clicked on the folders, and that drove me mad until I got over it and let it go!

Structure in Outlook Classic

And here is the Outlook New structure. Ignore the number of emails in my inbox - I aim to fix that. 

But now an archive menu popped up, and look at the number of emails in there. It would just pop anything into that folder. So I started deleting all those files. I really don't care if something goes missing. I can't even deal with what I have! Don't worry - within my Inbox folder, there is a very comprehensive filing structure. However, there is ONE folder that I created that I cannot delete, and it's driving me mad! Perhaps I can rename it and then try to delete. Hmmm -- I'll try that later today. 

Outlook New file structure

As I emptied that folder, which took a very long time, it dumped many of the files into the Deleted Items folder. So now I'm letting that empty as I write. I didn't get back to this computer yesterday. 

There were extra folders in this new file structure, and I was able to delete those, so I only have the ones I need, as you see above. The bad news is that I cannot delete the Archive Folder, which Microsoft is supposedly phasing out. OK—get rid of it completely!!! I have tried to delete that folder, and the system won't let me. I'm going to explore a bit more, then give Support a call to see if I can get this more or less configured the way I want! 

I hadn't been in my Junk email folder in a bit, and I discovered three emails from someone asking for something from me, so I must answer them later today. 

I still have the option to scoot back into the Classic version, which I might do to discover more about the Archive thing. Anyway, I'm on a roll, and I'm not afraid to use DELETE!!!! But now that I know that any information I look for needs to be for Microsoft NEW, that helps a lot. 

Switch back to Classic

I'm working my way through my embroidery design files. I find it very therapeutic, and I'm learning a lot about myself and my previous lack of discipline and focus. It's also teaching me patience, which is essential. And for some reason, on my old computer, many times when I wanted to MOVE something, I could only copy. And that created a mess. On the new computer, I now (again) can move things, and that is going to be huge. 

I plan to locate all the digital embroidery files I can find on the hard drives, the USBs (which I believe were moved to a hard drive), and any other digital storage locations. Then once they are all on one hard drive in a "TO BE SORTED" folder, it'll just make me feel happy. Then I  start the purge/sort in earnest. Someone suggested I delete and start over! Can't happen because these files came from all different sources (over 25 years), which I no longer have access to - some came via email, some came on USBs, some I created myself. Overall, the designs that I purchased online are probably the minority of my files. 

But slow and steady - that's how I roll. The bottom line? I'm super excited now that I have a plan!!

Quote of the day!

After my two presentations, I got a lot of work done in the afternoon, but alas, I can't share any of it with you - not yet!

But I can share this with you. So I run a Club called Many Blocks, which is a small group of us working on quilts with many blocks. It's like a UFO Club, but the project doesn't have to be a UFO. I started working on my 365 Day Challenge quilt because I thought it would be an incentive to finish it. I struggled and didn't accomplish much. I decided to put that aside and work on less intense quilts where I could actually see some progress. 

I set four goals for 2026 in that group - to finish and bind three quilts - Farm Girl Vintage and Vintage Christmas, which are both Lori Holt quilts that I taught. I also included the blocks from Dear Jen - I did not complete them all, and then I'll get to work on Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, which is another quilt I taught, and you'll see more of that later this year. 

I taught Farm Girl Vintage at Sew Sisters in 2016 and then at The Hobby Horse in 2018. Neither time was I able to complete the quilt. But look -- I managed to get the top together, which I think you saw last week, and then I threw it on the long arm, and it's quilted!! 

Farm Girl Vintage - quilted!

I trimmed it the other day, and it's now sitting by the sewing machine with the binding ready to finish it off!! So when I'm focused, I can get things done. Once that binding and the label are on, I'll be able to remove that item from my visual to-do list. Am I excited? You bet!!! And highly motivated to get more off that board!!

Oh shoot - I'm off to spin class this morning, so I'd better run!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!